Dr.  Lockwood's 
Readings  in  Natural  History 


' 


"^ANIMAL 


MEMOIRS* 


i  MAMMALS 


IV1SON,  BLAKEMAN,&  COMPANY 
NEW  YORK  AND  CHICAGO 


u  i 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 


OF" 


Received          JlcrU~          ...»  19°O  . 
Accession  No.  %  I  b  .    Class  No.. 


MOLMI 


OP    *•**- 

•QNIVXBSITY 

iSf  CALIFOV 


READINGS    IN   NATURAL    HISTORY 


ANIMAL   MEMOIRS 


PART    I 


MAMMALS 


R  A  R 
»  — 
of 

•UN 

£f  CALIFQS 
BY 


SAMUEL  LOCKWOOD,  PH.  D. 


IVISON,    BLAKEMAN,   AND   COMPANY 
publfsbers 

NEW    YORK    AND    CHICAGO 


L5 


8IOL0H 

LIBWW 


COPYEIGHT, 

1888, 
BY  IVISON,  BLAKEMAN  &  Co. 


PRESS    OF    HENRY    H.    CLARK    &    CO.,    BOSTON. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER            I.    INTRODUCTORY  MATTERS vii 

CHATTER          II.    ANIMAL  HUMOR: 

Nature  of  Animal  Humor 1 

CHAPTER         III.    ANIMAL  HUMOR.  —  MONKEY  DIDOS  : 

The  Oysterman's  Monkey 4 

Jack  and  the  Professor 8 

The  Monkey  Tease 14 

CHAPTER         IV.    ANIMAL  HUMOR.  —  CANINE  CUNNINGS  : 

Dick,  our  Black-and-Tan 22 

Major,  our  Newfoundland 33 

The  Dog  of  Ulysses 45 

Nero  of  the  Catskills 47 

CHAPTER  V.    ANIMAL  HUMOR.  —  CANINE  CRANKS: 

The  Mastiff  and  the  Cur 50 

Pompey  of  Edinburgh 53 

French ie,  the  Greyhound 56 

Canine  Recluses 60 

A  Trio  of  Tramps 60 

The  Tyrant  Terriers 62 

iii 


IV 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

CHAPTER         VI.    ANIMAL  HUMOR.  —  SLEDGE-DOG  ANTICS  :    .  68 

Lieut.  Lockwood's  Arctic  Dogs      ...  69 

Songs  of  the  Innuit 74 

The  Beauties  of  Summer 77 

Afloat  upon  the  Ice      .......  78 

The  Dog  of  Alcibiades 83 

CHAPTER        VII.    ANIMAL  HUMOR.  —  A  MEDLEY  :     ....  87 

Story  of  Seal  Fish-thieves 92 

Story  of  an  Educated  Seal 93 

Porpoise  Intelligence 94 

The  Porpoise  as  a  Fisherman    ....  99 

Porpoise  Sport 102 

CHAPTER      VIII.    ANIMAL  HUMOR.  —  CONCLUDED: 

Craftiness  in  Animals 105 

Some  Ratiocination       108 

CHAPTER         IX.    SOME  QUEER  ANIMALS: 

Concealed  Meanings  in  their  Structure  112 

A  first  Introduction 118 

CHAPTER  X.    HIDDEN  MEANINGS: 

The  Mystery  in  a  Bird's  Egg     ....  123 

The  Parts  of  a  Bird's  fegg 124 

What  goes  on  inside  the  Egg     ....  126 

The  Lesson  in  the  Egg      ......  128 

CHAPTER         XL    ECCENTRIC  ANIMALS: 130 

Habits  of  the  Platypus 132 

Hunting  the  Platypus 136 

Platypus  in  Captivity 140 

CHAPTER       XII.    MAMMALS  THAT  LAY  EGGS      .        ....  144 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 


CHAPTER      XIII.    MARSUPIALIA  : 

The  Cradle-bearers,  or  Kangaroos      .    .  153 

The  Large  Kangaroo 157 

CHAPTER       XIV.    MARSUPIALIA.  —  CONTINUED  : 

The  Wallaby  and  the  Koala      ....  164 

Little  Wallaby  Joe 164 

Some  Tame  Koalas 171 

CHAPTER        XV.    COUSINS  THREE  OF  HIGH  DEGREE  : 

Cousin  One,  the  Raccoon 177 

Coon  Craftiness 184 

CHAPTER      XVI.    COONS,  COONERS,  AND  COONING :      ....  193 

The  Coaler's  Coons 195 

The  old  Coon-hunter 197 

CHAPTER    XVII.    COUSIN  Two,  THE  COATI-MONDI  :    .    .    .    .  211 

Nosie's  Peculiarities 212 

Nasua'sTail 221 

Nasua's  Mental  Traits 223 

CHAPTER  XVIII.    COUSIN  THREE,  THE  KINKAJOU 231 

CHAPTER      XIX.    THE  LINEAGE  OF  THE  COUSINS 244 

CHAPTER        XX.     THE,  GRAY  RABBIT  :       249 

Rabbit  Intelligence 251 

Molly  Cotton-Tail 256 

CHAPTER      XXI.    THE  GRAY  RABBIT.  —  CONTINUED: 

Rabbit  Tracks 260 

Some  Model  Hares 265 

CHAPTER    XXII.    THE  GRAY  RABBIT.  —  CONCLUDED  : 

Rabbit  Traits 268 

A  Rabbit  Recluse 273 

Thoreau's  Rabbits 275 

Rabbit  Lore 277 

More  Rabbit  Traits 279 


VI 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

CHAPTER  XXIII.  MICE,  MUSICAL  AND  OTHERWISE  :  .  .  .  .  283 

The  Story  of  Hespie 286 

Hesperian  Music 288 

The  Wheel-Song 289 

The  Grand  Role 290 

Hespie 's  Grand  Opera 291 

Conduct  with  Strangers 295 

Nature  of  Hespie's  Music 297 

CHAPTER  XXIV.  HESPIE'S  MUSICAL  COUSINS  : 300 

Death  of  Hespie 306 

CHAPTER  XXV.  CLASSIFYING  ANIMALS  : 308 

Principles  of  Classification  .  .  .  .  309 


ANIMAL    MEMOIES. 


"Ask  now  the  beasts,  and  they  shall  teach  thee; 
And  the  fowls  of  the  air,  and  they  shall  tell  thee." 

The  Man  of  Uz. 

CHAPTER    I. 


INTRODUCTORY    MATTERS. 

T  is  accounted  the  proper  thing  for  an  author 
to  present  himself  in  an  introduction.  And 
yet  it  is  the  common  fate  of  this  part  of  a 
book  to  be  passed  over  unread  except  by  a  few.  That 
probably  was  an  eccentric  homilist  who  would  write 
his  discourse  first,  and  hunt  up  a  text  afterwards. 
Thus  the  so-called  text  was  simply  a  motto.  But  my 
prelude  is  true  to  itself,  and  is  for  the  revealing  in 
a  friendly  way  some  personalities  and  other  matters 
that  may  help  to  the  understanding  of  this  book, — 
hence  I  shall  believe  my  readers  will  be  more  con- 
siderate. 

I  remember  once  looking  into  a  book  which  was 
painfully  technical  and  intensely  dry.  Turning  to  the 
prefatory  part,  I  found  the  author  deprecating  the 
fact  that  the  introduction  to  a  book  was  like  a  fence 
which  kept  the  horse  from  entering  the  field  of 

vii 


Viii  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

clover ;  so  in  his  impatience  the  animal  leapt  over 
the  fence.  That  writer's  book  dealt  with  abstruse 
matters,  such  as  required  hard  study:  so  I  am  en- 
couraged to  think  that  my  readers  need  not  leap 
the  fence  to  get  into  the  clover -field. 

Moreover,  I  have  recollections  of  an  old  horse  that 
managed  matters  better  than  by  jumping  the  fence, 
even  when  in  quest  of  clover.  The  manse  stood  in  a 
clover  mead,  which  in  spring  and  early  summer  was 
a  perpetual  feast  to  old  Getup.  Leading  to  the  gate 
of  this  home  was  a  pretty  lane,  —  green,  and  even 
redolent  with  white  clover.  Often  the  old  fellow,  just 
from  a  long  tour  in  the  hills  with  his  master,  would 
stop  in  the  lane,  even  after  the  gate  was  opened,  to 
take  his  dejeuner  of  the  few  stray  clover  heads,  before 
betaking  himself  to  the  richer  provision  of  the  field. 

But  old  Getup  did  not  stay  long  outside  the  clover 
mead.  A  little  cropping  of  the  sward  sufficed,  when 
with  a  quickened  appetite  he  entered  the  gate,  and 
even  ran  to  the  meadow  abloom  Avith  red-tops.  And 
this  must  serve  as  a  hint  not  to  stay  too  long  in 
this  preludial  lane. 

One  day,  when  a  very  small  boy,  I  went  with  the 
family  to  pick  blueberries.  We  got  caught  in  a 
violent  storm  of  rain  and  lightning,  and  many  places 
were  soon  flooded.  A  poor  snake,  driven  from  its 
hiding-place  by  the  water,  lay  torpid  in  the  path  by 
which  we  were  returning.  Supposing  it  to  be  dead  I 
took  the  reptile  up  and  carried  it  home.  After  chang- 
ing my  wet  clothes,  I  sat  before  the  fire  with  the  snake 
on  my  lap,  and  with  a  pin  I  pointed  out  the  diamond- 


INTRODUCTORY    MATTERS.  IX 

shaped  scales  to  an  almost  baby  brother,  who  inter- 
rupted my  lecture  by  saying,  "Oh,  see,  its  tail  is  shak- 
ing!" Sure  enough,  it  was  alive.  To  my  astonishment, 
the  heat  of  the  fire  had  revived  it.  In  some  alarm 
an  older  brother  seized  it  with  the  fire-tongs,  and  it 
was  destroyed.  I  was  too  young  to  know  whether  the 
species  was  noxious  or  harmless;  and  in  truth  I  doubt 
if  the  household  were  any  wiser  on  that  subject  than 
myself. 

I  felt  very  bad  to  have  it  taken  from  me.  But  a 
little  picture  of  its  ornamentation  held  a  place  for  a 
long  time  in  my  memory.  The  pattern  was  a  mosaic 
of  pretty  geometric  figures.  From  that  time  on  my 
taste  grew.  I  had  that  day  got  a  nibble  in  the  lane 
which  led  to  the  rich  and  open  field  of  nature.  What 
an  appetizer  it  proved  to  be!  I  hungered  for  more. 
My  first  book  was  Goldsmith's  Animated  Nature,  which 
was  read  and  re-read  with  avidity.  I  took  in  every 
thing,  even  the  wild  statement  that  Indians  had  passed 
safely  over  the  Falls  of  Niagara  in  their  canoes. 

After  a  long  life  devoted  to  the  study  of  Nature  in 
her  own  haunts,  and  given  by  vocation  to  the  educa- 
tion of  the  young,  "  the  old  Naturalist "  was  pressed  to 
give  his  young  friends  some  little  book  of  a  trustworthy 
character  on  natural  history. 

This,  then,  is  how  the  undertaking  got  started. 
And  as,  in  order  to  be  consistent  and  truthful,  some 
method  must  be  adopted,  let  me  take  you  into  my 
confidence  and  tell  you  what  I  propose  to  do. 

When  I  look  at  my  watch,  it  is  usually  for  the 
simple  purpose  of  learning  the  time  of  the  day,  —  a 


X  ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

very  commonplace  matter.  But  how  much  more  in- 
teresting this  response  to  my  inquiry  becomes,  after 
the  history  of  this  little  time-measurer  is  known ! 
Beginning  at  the  mines,  how  absorbing  is  the  story 
of  the  silver  or  the  gold  which  enters  into  the 
encasement,  and  especially  that  of  the  bit  of  iron  ex- 
torted from  the  rock  by  fire,  so  skillfully  wrought,  that 
the  subtly  tempered  steel  into  which  it  is  transformed 
has  become,  weight  for  weight,  more  costly  far  than 
the  fine  gold  of  Ophir.  Such  is  the  hair-spring. 

Then  there  is  the  jeweling  of  this  little  engine,  so 
that  each  axle  end  of  each  tiny  wheel  revolves  in  a 
socket  made  of  a  gem  or  precious  stone.  Then  I  might, 
because  of  the  peculiarities  of  workmanship,  ask  whether 
it  was  made  in  England,  Switzerland,  or  America? 

And,  then,  the  profoundest  inquiry  of  all  —  the  orig- 
ination of  this  device.  Here  I  might  have  to  delve 
through  immense  accumulations  of  progress,  until  I 
should  alight  upon  the  device  of  the  time-measurer 
of  the  good  King  Arthur,  whose  wax-candles,  marked 
off  into  lengths  designating  hours,  were  kept  burning 
day  and  night. 

Thus  almost  insensibly  this  course  of  inquiry  has 
evolved  a  pretty  history  for  our  little  pocket  monitor 
of  the  passing  time.  Now,  will  my  young  reader  analyze 
this  statement  of  the  watch  ?  There  is  first  the  form ; 
the  most  easily  noticeable  being  the  dial  or  external 
face.  Then  its  constituent  parts,  its  structure  or  organ- 
ism, so  to  speak.  Next  its  idiosyncracy,  or  peculiarity 
of  workmanship,  due  to  the  nationality  of  the  maker. 
And  lastly  the  historic  origin  of  the  device,  its  career 
in  invention. 


INTRODUCTORY    MATTERS.  xi 

Now,  is  it  not  curious  that  this  is  the  philosophic 
method  of  considering  that  self-acting  machine,  or  living 
thing,  —  an  animal.  But  such  a  consideration  of  an 
animal  form  becomes  a  problem  in  natural  history ; 
and  one  which  involves  four  factors  in  its  solution. 
Each  of  these  has  a  technical  name,  —  first,  the  discus- 
sion of  form,  called  Morphology,  —  second,  that  of  struct- 
ure, organs,  etc.,  Physiology,  —  third,  distribution  into 
faunas,  or  geographical  occupancy,  called  Chorology, 
which  strange-looking  word  simply  means  "Place 
Science."  And  lastly,  the  question  of  origin,  source  or 
descent,  thus  involving  the  doctrine  of  cause.  This  is 
known  by  the  name  ^Etiology. 

Such  is  the  category  of  considerations  which  Science 
imposes  when  discussing  an  animal  form,  one  of  those 
living  engines  "not  made  with  hands,"  and  possessing 
an  inherent  force  not  yet  understood.  These,  then, 
are  principles  which  I  must  not  allow  myself  to  lose 
sight  of,  although  it  is  really  my  object  to  present 
natural  history  apart  from  the  hard  lines  of  techni- 
cal zoology.  In  my  selection  of  living  forms,  it  will 
be  for  the  purpose  of  discussing  thinking  as  well  as 
animate  things,  hence  my  object  will  be  the  portrayal 
of  a  number-  of  these  lower  individualities  in  a 
series  of  animal  lives. 

These  readings  in  Natural  History,  then,  are  to  con- 
sist mainly  of  individual  portraits,  or  animal  biogra- 
phies, given  in  the  fourfold  setting  described  above; 
but  so  far  as  possible  without  technicality  of  treatment, 
and  with  as  little  formal  limning  as  is  compatible 
with  clear  and  truthful  outlines.  Thus  I  hope  to  do 


Xii  ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

similarly  in  kind  for  Natural  History  what  Plutarch 
did  for  human  history,  in  his  portraits  of  Greek  and 
Roman  lives. 

Whenever  possible,  such  creatures  will  be  chosen  for 
treatment  as  I  have  known  with  that  intimacy  which 
attaches  to  pets.  Thus  I  shall  seem  to  myself  to  be 
actually  writing  the  biographies  of  my  humble  friends. 
Structure,  often  quite  wonderful,  will  be  unfolded,  and 
those  habits,  the  sum  of  which  constitutes  a  life,  will 
be  portrayed.  In  a  word,  my  purpose  is  to  give  a 
series  of  animal  memoirs,  or  lives  of  typical  or  rep- 
resentative creatures  in  the  several  sections  of  the 
Vertebrata,  this  being  the  highest  branch  of  the  ani- 
mal kingdom. 

And  what  profit  to  my  readers  in  such  a  course? 
Surely,  besides  entertainment,  this  should  widen  the 
horizon  of  your  knowledge,  —  and  more.  "  Go  to  the 
ant,  —  consider  her  ways,  and  be  ivise."  Wisdom  is 
more  than  knowledge;  for  one  might  read  a  great 
work  on  natural  history,  and  though  knowing  more 
be  not  much  wiser.  But  with  the  imagination  and 
the  judgment  in  healthful  union  let  one  enter  into 
the  mind  of  an  animal,  —  that  is,  put  himself  in  its 
place,  and  it  will  be  surprising  how  much  of 
one's  self  can  be  seen  in  that  lowly  thing.  What  pru- 
dence, and  foresight  even,  do  we  find  in  the  emmet, 
which  not  only  lays  up  in  its  garner,  but,  like  a 
provident  housekeeper,  saves  from  spoiling  by  bring- 
ing its  stores  out  for  an  occasional  airing. 

And  there  is  a  forecasting  of  the  weather,  even  by 
the  insignificant  snail,  which  is  a  meteorologist  in 


INTRODUCTORY    MATTERS.  xiii 

foretelling  the  changes  which  have  to  do  with  its 
health  and  comfort. 

And  there  is  conscience,  too,  in  some  of  these  lowly 
ones!  For  does  not  the  intelligent  dog  sometimes  know 
that  he  has  done  wrong  and  suffer  unhappiness,  —  a 
sort  of  remorse  in  consequence? 

And  such  magnanimity  as  I  have  seen,  —  an  ani- 
mal taking  the  part  of  the  weak  against  the  strong, 
although  the  sufferer  belonged  to  a  species  against 
which  its  defender  had  a  strong  antipathy. 

And  what  sympathy  in  distress,  —  as  when  one  of 
these  dumb  creatures  helps  another  in  want.  I  once 
undertook  to  rob  a  nest  of  young  brown  thrushes 
when  the  parent-birds  were  away;  but  they  caught 
me  in  the  act.  Each  uttered  one  sharp  piercing  note 
of  alarm ;  then  disappeared.  But  the  disappearance 
was  only  momentary,  for  back  they  came  with  a 
troop  of  sympathizing  friends.  Oh,  that  outcry  of 
indignation,  —  that  bevy  of  sympathizers, —  there  were 
robins,  and  different  thrushes,  catbirds,  finches,  etc. — 
all  flying  at  me,  and  screaming  in  notes  which 
plainly  meant  —  "We'd  like  to  pick  your  eyes  out, — 
you  mean  fellow ! "  Yes,  and  I  felt  mean,  though  I 
did  the  best  in  my  power  to  redeem  my  reputation 
by  putting  the  young  birds  back  into  their  nest. 

I  have  spoken  of  sympathy  and  magnanimity  in 
these  lowly  things,  so  I  am  glad  to  be  able  to  nar- 
rate a  true  story  of  an  old  hen,  which  displays  a 
charity  of  an  extraordinary  kind.  The  fowl  belongs  to 
a  friend  of  mine,  a  worthy  physician  at  Long  Branch. 
The  notable  thing  is  that  the  bird's  sympathy  is 


XIV  ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

given    to   the   offspring  of  a  feline  foe  that  entertained 
not  a  whit  of  tenderness  for  her  chickens. 

Last  winter  a  little  kitten  which  had  been  abandoned 
by  its  mother  sought  shelter  in  the  doctor's  hennery. 
It  speedily  tucked  itself  under  the  wing  of  a  thought- 
ful old  hen,  who  magnanimously  adopted  the  little 
waif,  and  lovingly  sheltered  it  from  the  inclement 
weather.  The  affection  manifested  by  the  two  for  each 
other  was  really  demonstrative.  The  hen,  in  her  pref- 
erence for  the  society  of  her  adopted  son,  ceased  almost 
entirely  to  associate  with  the  rest  of  her  feathered  fam- 
ily. The  two  were  constantly  together.  "Kittie"  nes- 
tled closely  by  the  side  of  the  hen.  The  latter 
exhibited  always  a  strong  willingness  to  share  its  food 
with  Pussie,  but  though  the  cat  would  respond  with 
filial  promptitude  to  the  clucking  of  the  mother,  it 
could  never  be  induced  to  eat  the  angle- worms  which 
she  industriously  unearthed  in  the  early  spring.  It 
was  really  interesting  to  note  the  affectionate  compan- 
ionship of  the  two.  They  kept  entirely  to  themselves, 
and  seemed  to  be  never  so  content  as  when  reclining 
side-by-side  upon  the  doctor's  lawn.  The  kitten  of  last 
winter  is  now  a  robust  young  cat,  but  the  attach- 
ment has  so  far  proven  abiding.  The  case  is  one  of 
exceptional  interest  to  the  many  who  have  witnessed 
it.  So  "one  touch  of  nature  makes  the  whole  world 
kin." 

And  I  must  tell  a  true  story  on  the  other  side.  It 
happened  in  the  Old  Country  not  long  ago.  A  hen 
came  off  her  nest  with  a  large  brood  of  chickens  just 
hatched.  She  left  one  chick  struggling  to  get  out  of 


INTRODUCTORY    MATTERS.  XV 

the  shell.  The  lady  of  the  house  took  the  chick  and 
hurt  it  by  accident.  Supposing  that  it  must  die  she 
gave  it  to  the  cat,  thinking  it  would  kill  it  and  so 
end  its  suffering.  The  cat  had  a  kitten  but  a  few  days' 
old.  To  the  lady's  surprise  she  began  at  once  remov- 
ing the  shell  in  the  most  tender  way;  and  this  done 
she  put  the  callow  thing  by  the  side  of  her  kitten,  and 
nestled  them  together.  An  attempt  was  made  to  give 
the  chick  to  the  hen,  but  the  old  cat  was  so  unhappy 
that  it  was  restored,  and  her  protege  grew  up  with  her 
kitten, 

I  hope  these  Animal  Memoirs  will  make  the  reader 
brighter  eyed,  hence  more  appreciative  of  Nature,  as 
seeing  her  ways  more  clearly  than  before.  A  city 
friend  was  just  now  looking  over  the  garden-fence  at 
the  old  turkey  in  pursuit  of  a  grasshopper,  and  was 
amused  at  his  zigzag  movements.  The  insect  being 
caught  was  swallowed  without  any  ado.  Said  I,  "Did 
you  notice  that,  having  caught  his  game,  he  swallowed 
it  without  stopping  to  think?  The  bird  is  used  to 
grasshoppers." 

"To  think?"  reiterated  my  friend.  "Is  there  any 
thing  more  in  a  bird's  noddle  than  instinct?" 

"Well,"  I  rejoined,  "let  us  see!"  Then,  having 
caught  a  large  black  beetle:  "Here,"  I  said,  "is  some- 
thing new  to  that  turkey.  Now  watch."  I  then  threw 
it,  so  as  to  be  seen  by  the  bird.  He  went  up  to  the 
black  thing,  then  very  deliberately  put  down  his  head 
and  inspected  the  insect;  then  stepped  back  quite 
cautiously,  then  he  approached,  and  stooping  as  before, 
again  gazed  at  it  intently.  Not  yet  satisfied,  he  now 


ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

walked  around  it  with  a  curiously  cautious  strut, 
keeping  his  eyes  all  this  time  upon  the  dubious  morsel. 
Now  his  movement  is  quicker,  and  becoming  assured 
he  seizes  the  insect  and  it  is  swallowed  at  once. 

"Enough,"  said  my  friend.  "If  that  is  not  thinking, 
I  don't  know  what  is.  I  never  saw  more  deliberate 
sampling  of  goods." 

I  have  observed  in  the  bear-den  at  the  Central  Park 
an  old  Bruin,  who  seems  more  philosophical  than  any 
of  his  brethren.  If  a  newspaper  rolled  into  a  wad  is 
thrown  into  the  den  he  will  appropriate  it;  and 
although  he  well  knows  it  is  at  best  an  empty  favor, 
he  will  carefully  unroll  it,  and  then  gaze  on  the 
open  sheet  with  an  aspect  of  serious  wisdom.  Another 
bear  comes  up  and  seems  desirous  to  look  at  the  paper 
too.  But  that  is  not  allowed,  so  there  is  a  rough 
and  tumble  contest  over  the  subject  at  once. 

I  think  that  here  two  points  constitute  the  fun. 
First,  the  mock  gravity  of  the  situation,  —  that  old 
plantigrade  looking  as  if  he  were  mentally  delving 
for  the  news.  Then  at  the  same  time  he  is  brewing 
mischief;  for  well  he  knows  that  the  other  fellow  will 
seek  to  poke  his  nose  into  his  business,  thus  affording 
a  pretty  opportunity  to  administer  a  chastisement. 

This  study  of  Animal  Memoirs  should  make  us  mor- 
ally better.  Though  differing  greatly  from  our  own 
kind  these  lowly  beings  are  really  our  fellow-creatures, 
since  the  same  Divine  Hand  hath  made  us  all.  As 
their  superiors,  then,  we  should  be  their  protectors. 
The  late  Henry  Bergh,  whose  life  was  spent  in  a  kindly 
championship  of  the  helpless  beasts,  when  a  boy  in  the 


INTRODUCTORY    MATTERS.  xvii 

city  of  New  York,  saw  another  boy  ill-using  a  poor  dog, 
and  gave  the  oppressor  a  thrashing  on  the  spot.  The 
boy  was  father  of  the  man. 

To  use  the  sentiment  of  another  the  study  of  animal 
lives  should  have  an  improving  and  refining  influence 
on  the  mind.  We  learn  thereby  our  true  position  in 
the  household  of  Nature.  And  this  knowledge  makes 
one  more  merciful,  benevolent,  and  modest  in  his  inter- 
course with  his  own  kind  and  with  other  creatures. 

My  young  readers  should  know  that  the  naturalist 
is  made  during  the  boyhood  or  girlhood  of  life.  The 
habit  of  clear  and  industrious  observation  sets  in  when 
the  taste  for  the  investigation  of  nature  has  been 
acquired  early.  I  hope,  then,  these  little  books  opening 
up  Nature's  mines  in  the  most  familiar  way,  and  in 
a  companionable  spirit,  will  yield  wholesome  returns. 

The  very  young  may  be  at  times  real  discoverers 
though  they  do  not  know  it,  that  being  a  fact  which 
older  ones  only  can  recognize.  When  in  former  years 
I  lectured  on  Natural  History  to  the  students  in  an 
educational  institution,  I  remember  that  I  was  often 
gladdened  by  the  contribution  of  some  intelligent 
youth,  a  specimen  he  had  found,  or  a  new  fact  he  had 
discovered. 

One  suggestion,  in  conclusion,  regarding  technical 
words.  Every  good  technical  word  is  pictorial.  It  is 
easy  to  call  a  certain  animal  a  seal;  and  some  will 
say  — "  Yes,  and  that  is  good  English ! "  Well,  grant 
it.  But  what  do  you  mean  by  a  "seal?"  "An  animal 
with  flippers ! "  Yes,  but  a  walrus,  too,  has  flippers,  and 
so  on  for  the  sea-horse,  sea-cow,  sea-elephant,  sea-lion,  etc. 


XV111  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

Plainly,  then,  your  good  English  is  a  plagiarist  stealing 
from  the  land  animals  to  get  a  nomenclature  for  those 
of  the  sea.  Thus  hath  it  been  of  old  times;  for  even 
the  Romans  had  to  do  likewise,  as  they  called  our  little 
seal  Vitilus  marinus  the  Sea-calf.  Now,  surely,  we  can 
do  better  than  this. 

The  Greeks  had  a  distinctive  name  for  the  true  seal, 
Phoca.  The  naturalist  has  adopted  this  word  for  the 
genus.  But  as  there  are  several  kinds  of  the  true  seals, 
each  of  which  is  divisible  into  other  kinds  with  lesser 
differences,  he  has  made  several  genera  of  the  seals, 
and  for  each  genus  several  species.  Hence  arises  the 
need  of  a  group  name,  —  that  is,  a  name  that  shall 
designate  these  genera  as  a  whole  or  entirety.  How 
naturally  now  comes  the  word  Phocidse,  the  Seal  Group. 
And  as  to  the  one  special  seal  we  have  been  talking 
about,  as  it  cries  in  the  water  like  a  calf,  we  get  Phoca 
vitulina,  the  Calf-seal. 

Now,  if  you  will  look  this  pretty  creature  in  the  coun- 
tenance, you  will  see  a  likeness  to  the  head  and  face  of 
a  high-bred  spaniel.  Hence,  with  what  verbal  dainti- 
ness did  Cuvier  designate  the  group  as  Callocephalus, 
the  Beautiful-headed  Beasts. 

So  all  through  our  books  the  close  context  unveils 
these  significant  and  attractive  pictorial  words.  Hence,  it 
must  be  that  the  verbal  vision  of  the  reader  grows  finer 
and  more  precise  as  he  is  carried  along,  if  the  instructor 
will  but  dwell  a  little  on  these  words  as  they  occur. 

But  I  must  not  forget  the  story  of  the  fence  and  the 
clover-field,  —  so  without  tarrying  longer  in  tire  lane, 
let  us  now  open  the  gate  and  go  into  the  meadow. 


CHAPTER    II. 


ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

"  The  heart  is  hard  .  .  .  that  is  not  pleased 
With  sight  of  animals  enjoying  life, 
Nor  feels  their  happiness  augment  his  own." 

Nature  of  Animal  Humor. 

jjjY  desire  is  to  set  in  order  for  my  readers  a 
series  of  recollections  of  zoological  studies.  I 
wish  to  present  a  few  biographies  of  animal 
lives.  But  the  first  chapters  of  my  book  will  deal 
with  animal  traits  in  a  general  way,  so  that  we 
may  get  a  peep  at  the  inner  springs  of  conduct 
in  these  lowly  lives.  Hence  these  opening  chapters 
are  somewhat  crowded  exhibits  of  the  exuberance  or 
overflow  of  "animal  mind."  I  indulge  the  hope  in 
this  way  to  awaken  in  my  young  reader  the  faculty 
of  insight,  so  that  he  may  be  to  the  animal  what  it  so 
often  is  to  him,  —  "a  discerner  of  spirit."  For  is  it  not 
too  apparent  that  in  this  respect  "the  dumb  beasts 
which  perish  "  are  often  our  superiors  ?  In  divining  the 
mind  of  his  master  the  dog  rarely  errs;  and  how 
subtle  his  discrimination  of  "  the  stranger  at  the  gate." 
These  mental  manifestations  indicate  the  one  Maker  of 

i 


2  ANIMAL   HUMOR. 

animals  and  men.     And  is  not  this  seeing  the  wonder- 
ful, when  one  beholds  the  Divine  wisdom  in  nature? 

"  She 's  God's  own  mirror ;  she  's  a  light  whose  glance 
Springs  from  the  lightning  of  His  countenance." 

No  pessimist  ever  made  much  in  the  study  of  the 
life  histories  of  animals.  The  student  of  such  had  better 
be  optimist  out  and  out.  You  will  find  the  right  ring  in 
the  quaint  lines  of  the  amiable  and  "  saintly  Herbert " : 

"All  things  are  big  with  jest;  nothing  that's  plain 
But  may  be  witty,  if  thou  hast  the  vein." 

It  was  long  ago  that  Cowper  drew  me  into  "the 
vein."  The  first  poem  that  made  my  cheeks  dimple 
with  the  ringing  laughter  of  childhood  was  "John 
Gil  pin."  No  musical  toy  could  compete  in  my  affections 
with  the  jingling  jollity  of  that  spurt  of  rhythmic  fun 
and  nonsense ;  and  when  told  that  its  author  kept  three 
pet  hares,  —  Puss,  Tiney,  and  Bess,  —  he  became  estab- 
lished in  my  estimation  as  a  right  proper  man.  A 
maturer  judgment  has  strengthened  this  love;  for  his 
classic  hymns  have  afforded  joy  and  comfort  in  dark 
and  trying  days. 

With  these  lowly  animals,  as  with  "the  higher 
folks,"  are  all  kinds  of  mental  manifestation,  —  the  glee- 
some  and  the  serious,  the  pathetic  and  the  sympathetic, 
the  jocose  and  the  morose. 

There  is  a  rough-and-tumble  mirth  enjoyed  alike 
by  dogs  and  boys.  How  much  fun  my  own  children 
have  had  rollicking  with  the  dogs  on  the  carpeted  floor ! 
Then  I  have  looked  at  young  men  engaged  at  fisticuffs, 


NATURE    OF    ANIMAL    HUMOR.  3 

and  compared  their  sport  with  the  sham  fight  of  a 
couple  of  dogs.  How  similar  the  progress  and  the 
wind-up  with  both.  There  is  a  canine  contretemps, — 
one  has  bitten  too  hard,  and  there  is  a  yelp.  With  the 
other  party,  one  has  hit  too  hard,  and  there  is  an  out- 
cry. Both  couples  wind  up  "mad." 

But  when  the  fun  is  innocent,  hearty,  and  harm- 
less, being  fun  simply,  it  is  volatile.  Hence  it  is  ob- 
servable as  a  rule  with  this  kind  of  play,  with  both 
dogs  and  urchins,  that,  however  high  the  glee,  a  very 
small  thing  will  put  it  out;  —  an  apple  accurately 
thrown  is  sufficient  for  the  purpose;  instantly  the  effer- 
vescence is  all  over. 

Young  people  ought  to  understand  that  between  the 
owner  and  the  pet  there  should  be  a  mutual  enjoyment 
of  play,  in  the  sense  of  gentle  amusement  and  innocent 
fun.  Old  Sobersides  did  not  like  boys  or  girls,  and 
averred  "  they  cut  up  like  colts."  Well,  I  have  seen 
young  people  enjoy  themselves  until  they  fairly  cried 
over  it;  and  I  have  seen  domestic  animals  of  high 
strain  "cut  up"  as  if  they  were  beside  themselves. 
Nor  was  it  all  animal  spirits.  There  was  a  sense  of 
fun  with  both  master  and  beast,  and  the  latter  knew 
it.  In  fact,  a  dull  or  grum  pet  is  poor  company.  But 
this  is  forestalling  our  subject. 


CHAPTER    III. 


ANIMAL    HUMOR. -MONKEY    Droos. 

The  Oysterman's  Monkey. 

ONCE  lived  not  far  from  a  place  where  baskets 
were  made  for  the  use  of  oystermen.  In  the 
shop  was  a  pet  monkey  which  gave  occasion  to 
many  an  uproarious  scene.  In  fact,  all  hands  sometimes 
played  monkey,  the  quadrumanal  leading  off,  hunted 
by  the  bimanal  ones,  over  and  through  the  sinuosities 
of  great  heaps  of  oyster-baskets.  The  star  performance 
was  usually  by  the  monkey  and  the  apprentice,  con- 
sisting, as  the  "posters"  would  put  it,  in  "ground  and 
lofty  tumbling,"  —  the  monkey  executing  the  latter,  and 
leaving  the  other  to  the  'prentice.  This  would  be  kept 
up  until  the  play  became  too  rough,  when  the  agile 
creature  with  a  spring  would  be  out  of  harm's  way, 
clinging  to  the  rafters  of  the  building. 

As  an  outcome  of  my  studies,  and  not  dreaming 
of  any  pedantry,  I  ventured  to  say  that  the  specimen 
belonged  to  the  family  Cebidse.  This  was  promptly 
corrected  by  the  apprentice,  who  told  me  that  the  Sim- 
monses  didn't  own  a  hair  in  its  hide.  It  belonged  to 
the  "boss's  family."  Happily,  we  were  both  right. 

4 


MONKEY    DIDOS.  5 

With  a  frown  at  the  officious  youth,  an  intelligent 
journeyman  asked  me  for  its  scientific  name.  I  said 
it  was  one  of  the  spider-monkeys,  and  known  as  Ateles 
Belzebutli.  Again  the  irrepressible  apprentice  inter- 
posed, "  There  is  a  good  deal  of  Beelzebub  in  that  little 
beast."  To  this  came  the  journeyman's  ready  retort: 
"Bob,  if  there  was  less  of  that  article  in  you,  you 
wouldn't  botch  your  baskets  so  badly."  I  merely 
added,  that  doubtless  some  sailor  had  brought  the  little 
fellow  from  South  America,  where  it  was  known  under 
the  name  Marimonda.  As  the  smart  boy  seemed  for  the 
nonce  snuffed  out,  I  was  able  to  answer  a  number  of 
questions  put  to  me  by  the  workmen,  one  object  being 
to  awaken  an  interest  in  the  poor  thing  that  should  go 
far  to  save  it  from  ill  treatment. 

The  wee  thing  was  slim-bodied,  and  had  a  very 
long  prehensile  or  twining  tail.  It  was  certainly  a 
very  grotesque-looking  creature.  Yet  it  was  withal 
gentle  and  confiding,  and  brimming  over  with  fun.  It 
was  quite  fond  of  a  good-natured  romp  with  the  men 
and  boys,  jumping  from  shoulder  to  shoulder,  and 
casting  around  their  necks  that  marvelous  fifth  hand, 
its  prehensile  tail.  In  tit-for-tat,  tag-and-run,  its  agility 
and  tactics  were  splendid.  All  this  was  very  fine  for 
a  few  days,  or  while  the  novelty  lasted.  But  this  good- 
natured  romping  soon  became  ill-tempered  and  vicious 
on  the  part  of  the  shop-hands.  In  truth,  erelong  that 
sense  of  feeling  tired  set  in  which  so  soon  falls  upon 
many  an  owner  of  animal  pets.  Then  followed  heart- 
less neglect.  Cruelty  comes  with  loss  of  interest. 

At    last    from    harsh    treatment    it    lost    all    spirit; 


6  ANIMAL   HUMOR. 

and  soon  something  happened  which  filled  to  over- 
flowing its  cup  of  misery.  Marimonda  was  clever  at 
catching  sticks  when  thrown  to  her,  which  caused  con- 
siderable amusement  to  the  shop-hands.  Now  came  a 
fiendish  trick.  One  of  them  threw  the  hot  poker  to  her, 
which  she  caught,  —  the  burning  shame!  For  a  few 
moments  the  poor  animal  danced  about,  half  wild  with 
pain  and  terror,  the  shop  in  a  roar  of  brutal  laughter. 

The  poor  thing  now  broke  down,  as  if  it  had 
concluded  to  drop  all  sport  forever.  Not  at  all  vicious, 
still  gentle,  but  joyless,  it  became  chronically  sad. 
Though  quite  young,  all  its  mirth  had  gone.  I 
told  them  the  little  fellow's  days  were  numbered ;  in 
fact,  that  they  were  killing  it.  It  had  lost  all  confi- 
dence in  every  one  of  them.  In  such  an  exigency  how 
appealingly  an  animal  will  turn  to  some  person  whom 
it  can  trust! 

I  remember  the  last  time  I  saw  the  hapless  pet. 
Neglect  was  rapidly  telling  on  it.  The  cold  weather 
was  setting  in,  and  it  had  a  cough,  which  sounded 
painfully  human.  As  soon  as  it  heard  my  voice  it 
approached  me  with  a  trustingness  that  was  very 
affecting.  It  attracted  the  attention  of  the  workmen, 
one  of  whom  said:  "Just  look  at  that!  The  beast 
won't  come  nigh  any  of  us,  and  is  always  afraid  of 
strangers;  but  see  how  it  has  taken  to  the  minister 
from  the  first  time  it  put  .eyes  on  him!  It  fairly 
whimpers  when  it  hears  him  coming ! " 

All  this  was  true.  And  for  that  whimper  —  it 
was  a  plaintive  cooing,  soft  and  flute-like,  and  not 
unlike  the  crooning  of  an  infant.  Pitifully  true  was 


MONKEY   DIDOS.  7 

it,  that  whenever  I  called  at  the  basket-maker's  shop 
I  was  sure  to  be  met  with  the  love-greeting  of  little 
Ateles,  —  that  soft  cooing  utterance  of  trustful  joy.  But 
there  was  so  much  painful  melancholy  in  it,  —  for 
the  wonted  merry  mood  of  little  Marimonda  had  taken 
flight ! 

That  there  was  real  affection  in  that  little  heart 
I  entertain  no  doubt.  Its  gentle  eyes  told  all  this  so 
plainly  whenever  they  saw  me  coming.  Such  mani- 
festations could  not  be  other  than  touching,  they  spoke 
so  unmistakably  of  an  implicit  faith  in  me;  and  it  was 
evident  that  it  yielded  the  fruits  of  peace  to  that  little 
trusting  heart.  I  think  that  with  animals  as  with 
men  humor  and  gentleness  go  together;  and  if  either 
survive  the  other,  it  is  this  gentleness  that  gleams 
after  the  other  light  has  gone  out. 

I  would  not  have  it  implied  that  this  glinting 
towards  the  amiable  attributes  of  man  makes  our 
monkey  less  simian ;  but  I  would  insist  that  such  quali- 
ties should  not  be  reckoned  brutish.  Is  it  not  these 
touches  of  nature  that  make  the  whole  world  kin?  I 
never  dared  attempt  to  interpret  the  words  of  the 
apostle,  —  words  so  weighted  with  significance,  whatever 
it  may  be,  to  every  thoughtful  mind,  — "  For  we  know 
that  the  whole  creation  groaneth,  waiting  for  the  adop- 
tion." Yes,  trust  is  needed  at  the  dark  end  of  the 
journey.  I  have  had  a  pet  mouse  creep  into  my  hand 
to  be  hovered,  and  to  die. 

Poor  Marimonda  soon  came  to  grief,  —  or  rather 
to  deliverance.  A  pot  of  green  paint  unintentionally 
set  in  the  way  proved  too  much  for  simian  curiosity. 


8  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

She  ate  of  the  pigment,  and  died  in  pitiful  agony. 
This  was  dolorous  tidings  to  me,  and  my  temper  rose 
to  a  spurt  of  indignation. 

In  a  small  glass  case  in  my  study  are  three  diminu- 
tive skulls.  One  is  about  the  size  of  an  egg,  and  is  cut 
from  wood.  It  is  what  the  ethnologists  call  a  "  medium 
long-head,"  and  was  probably  meant  to  represent  the 
cranium  of  the  Red  man.  It  was  found  in  the  old 
fort  at  St.  Augustine.  The  second  is  a  plaster  skull  as 
large  as  an  ordinary  orange.  It  is  of  the  "  round-head," 
or  the  Saxon  type  of  skull.  It  was  modeled  by  Canova, 
the  Italian  sculptor.  When  a  boy  I  picked  it  up  in  Broad- 
way for  a  Spanish  shilling.  The  third  one  is  a  trifle  the 
largest  of  the  three;  it  is  pear-shaped,  and  is  a  Cebian 
cranium.  It  is,  in  fact,  the  skull  of  Marimonda.  I  have 
just  taken  a  good  look  at  it,  and  these  eye-sockets  are 
anatomically  beautiful.  Even  the  dog  has  none  such. 
All  canine  waggery  is  in  the  tail,  but  the  monkey's  eye 
is  expressive.  As  to  protecting  bone  and  controlling 
muscle,  the  monkey's  eyes  are  as  well  set  and  fur- 
nished as  is  the  eye  of  man.  The  monkey's  eye  can 
express  humor  on  three  lines,  —  love,  rage,  and  mis- 
chief. I  call  this  little  skull  "  Poor  Yorick,"  and  fancy 
an  echo  in  these  empty  caverns,  when  I  say  :  "  Where 
be  your  gibes?  Where  be  your  gambols  now?" 

Jack  and  the  Professor. 

I  once  went  to  a  distant  city  to  see  a  learned  man. 
As  my  friend  was  out  I  was  invited  into  the  study  to 
wait.  There  I  made  the  acquaintance  of  Jack,  a  monkey 


MONKEY    DIDOS.  9 

confined  in  a  strong  cage.  As  his  master  said,  Jack  was 
a  Cebus,  and  his  proper  name  was  Cebus  capucinus;  hence 
he  was  a  cousin,  so  to  speak,  of  our  Ateles,  the  spider- 
monkey,  as  they  both  belonged  to  the  same  family, 
CebiddB.  Though  very  much  more  demonstrative,  Jack 
had  not  the  winning  ways  of  Marimonda.  His  accom- 
plishments were  in  another  line.  While  the  voice  of 
Ateles  was  soft  and  musical,  and  in  general  her  actions 
were  gentle,  Jack  abounded  in  morose  guttural  gibber- 
ings,  and  vicious  monkey  grimaces. 

I  had  never  before  seen  Jack.  When  I  entered 
the  house  he  was  moping  sulkily  in  his  cage.  I  ap- 
proached and  said,  "  Poor  Jack ! "  at  the  same  time 
extending  to  him  both  my  hands.  He  took  a  finger 
of  each  hand  of  mine  into  each  of  his  tiny  hands, 
and  as  he  held  me  thus  he  gazed  into  my  face  as  a 
discerner  of  spirits  might  who  is  divining  from  the 
tone  of  voice  and  the  light  of  the  eyes.  The  query  in 
Jack's  mind  was,  "What  sort  of  stuff  is  this  new  fel- 
low made  of?"  Mental  movements  are  sometimes  mar- 
velously  quick,  and  that  monkey's  mind  was  made 
up  like  a  flash.  True,  the  beast  had  taken  a  searching 
look  at  me;  but  after  all,  the  recognition  was  intuitive. 
He  had  taken  the  stranger's  measure  at  a  glance,  and 
we  were  friends  at  sight. 

Jack's  owner  was  a  learned  naturalist,  who  on 
entering  the  room,  and  finding  me  toying  with  the 
dangerous  brute,  was  startled,  and  his  first  impulse  was 
to  call  me  away;  but  restraining  himself,  the  savant 
looked  on  in  astonishment. 

"You   are  the  only  one,"  said   the  wise-man,  "that 


10  ANIMAL   HUMOR. 

Jack  has  ever  taken  a  liking  to  at  the  first  glance." 
Then  of  a  sudden  my  host  set  up  a  terrible  to-do,  as 
if  he  would  have  me  torn  to  pieces,  crying,  "  Go  for 
him,  Jack!  Go  for  him!"  But  Jack  looked  per- 
plexed, as  he  evidently  liked  me,  and  disliked  his 
orders.  He  still  held  me  by  a  finger  of  each  hand; 
and  it  was  plain  that  he  would  rather  go  for  me 
than  go  for  me.  Again,  however,  the  master  shouted 
excitedly,  "Go  for  him,  Jack!  go  for  him!" 

So  Jack,  in  obedience  to  imperious  command,  went 
for  me,  shaking  my  hands  by  the  one  finger  which 
he  held  of  each  as  if  he  would  impress  me  with 
the  fierceness  of  quadrumanous  anger.  And  how  wide 
open  he  kept  his  mouth,  —  and  how  the  white  teeth 
shone  as  from  between  them  rushed  a  torrent  of 
gibbering  rage ! 

Considering  the  shortness  of  the  manager's  notice, 
this  perfunctory  tempest  was  exceedingly  well  gotten 
up.  That  is  to  say,  Jack's  part  was  well  played,  — 
for  of  course  it  was  the  merest  sham, — but  it  was 
the  best  make-believe  anger  I  ever  beheld.  I  have  a 
boyish  recollection  how  the  elder  Booth  stirred  the 
"  pit "  to  its  depths  when  in  the  "  very  whirlpool 
of  passion  "  he  "  went  for "  Richmond.  If  great  and 
small  things  may  be  compared,  Jack  in  his  role 
was  equally  grand,  ,  for  when  he  "  went  for "  me  the 
mimicry  of  simian  rage  was  well-nigh  sublime.  Angry 
indeed!  The  creature  would  not  hurt  a  hair  of  my 
head. 

His  owner's  commands  obeyed,  he  was  now  at 
liberty  to  turn  his  attention  to  me  in  a  friendly  way. 


MONKEY   DIDOS.  II 

He  made  an  amusingly  minute  inspection  of  my 
hands.  Was  he  comparing  them  with  his  own?  Who 
knows?  He  examined  the  few  hairs  on  the  back  of 
them.  Then  turned  a  hand  over,  and  gave  close  atten- 
tion to  the  lines  in  the  palms.  Of  course  it  could  only 
be  in  semblance;  but  the  sight  was  so  grotesquely 
grave,  —  as  it  might  be  a  gypsy  manikin  practicing 
palmistry ! 

Jack  could  catch  with  either  hand  a  nut  thrown 
to  him,  and  crack  it  with  a  stone  as  deftly  as  any  one. 
How  is  it  that  so  often  our  very  kindnesses  to  our  pets 
take  on  an  experimental  shape  ?  We  are  curious  to 
see  "  how  they  will  do  it."  In  this  way  Jack  had  his 
full  share  of  the  "tribulations  of  inventors";  for  his 
owner  was  a  man  of  science,  and  as  such  addicted 
to  experimenting. 

So  Jack  once  had  his  patience  put  to  a  strain 
by  an  obstinate  black-walnut.  It  was  a  toothsome 
bit,  but  in  a  tantalizing  sense;  for  it  tried  his  teeth 
severely,  —  in  fact,  defied  them.  His  mistress  put  a 
large  stone  within  his  reach.  He  seized  it  eagerly, 
but  it  was  so  heavy  that  he  could  not  hold  it  in  a 
stooping  position.  Having  placed  the  nut  on  the  floor, 
he  took  the  stone  in  both  hands,  and  set  himself 
nearly  upright,  so  as  to  balance  the  great  weight. 
This  done,  with  the  nicest  aim  down  came  the 
stone  upon  the  nut,  which  it  fairly  smashed. 

But  if  any  one  desired  to  evoke  the  animal's 
genius,  it  was  only  necessary  to  put  a  few  nuts  on 
the  floor,  at  a  tantalizing  or  inconvenient  distance 
from  his  cage.  On  such  trying  occasions  he  was 


12  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

allowed  to  have  a  stick  and  a  small  rope.  First,  the 
stick  would  be  used  ingeniously ;  but  if  his  best 
efforts  thus  failed  to  draw  the  nut  within  reach  of 
his  hands,  the  rope  would  be  brought  into  service. 
Doubling  the  string,  so  that  the  middle  served  for  a 
loop,  it  would,  after  a  number  of  efforts,  be  thrown  over 
the  nut,  and  thus  made  to  lasso  in  the  prize.  Some 
nice  reckoning  there ! 

One  day  the  professor  had  a  call  from  a  gentle- 
man with  a  bald  head.  Jack  regarded  the  visitor 
with  unfriendly  wonder.  Even  monkeys  appreciate 
resemblances.  An  Aino,  or  hairy-man,  would  be  a 
simian  Adonis.  But  as  for  this  person  with  the 
hairless  head,  why  should  he  be  less  like  him  than 
other  folks  were?  Did  not  every  other  man  that  he 
had  seen  have  hair  on  his  head,  as  every  properly 
gotten-up  monkey  had?  Did  it  not  look  like  an  in- 
vidious distinction  ? 

I  fear  if  Jack  had  been  gifted  with  speech,  like 
a  son  of  Belial  he  would  have  said  to  the  old  gentle- 
man, "  Go  up,  thou  bald-head,  go !  "  And  as  it  was, 
his  eyes  did  speak  things  not  lawful  to  utter;  for  the 
fellow  was  surly,  and  in  no  reverent  mood.  After 
some  coaxing  by  his  master,  and  perhaps  some 
incitement  of  appetite,  he  did  show  off  his  accomplish- 
ment in  the  role  of  getting  the  nuts  off  the  floor, 
much  to  the  delectation  of  the  bald  gentleman. 

He  was  next  ordered  to  "  go  for "  the  gentleman, 
which  command  was  executed  with  alacrity  and  spirit; 
in  truth,  he  shook  the  bars  of  his  cage  in  savage 
fury.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that,  but  for  the  re- 


MONKEY   DIDOS.    '  13 

straint  of  those  bars,  that  paroxysm  would  have 
resulted  seriously  to  him  of  the  hairless  scalp. 

Turning  his  back  to  the  cage  the  old  gentleman 
with  some  formality  addressed  his  host :  "  I  find 
myself  unable  to  comprehend  what  the  animal  means 
by  this  hostile  attitude  towards  a  friendly  stranger. 
His  dexterity  with  that  stick  and  cord  is  really 
remarkable.  Ah,  well,  this  matter  of  animal  instinct 
is  truly  wonderful,  if  not  beyond  our  understanding. 
You  may  depend  upon  it,  professor,  this  little  beast  is 
capable  of  even  stranger  and  unlooked-for  develop- 
ments." 

In  the  main  the  old  gentleman  was  correct,  dis- 
coursing better  than  he  knew.  But  whether  that 
droll  creature  was  affected  by  the  compliment  is  not 
for  us  to  say.  As  already  almost  hinted,  Jack  was 
not  a  reviler  of  the  prophets.  But  then  how  inex- 
plicable the  incident,  that  at  the  very  moment  of 
prophesying,  the  rough  stick  used  in  getting  the 
nuts  off  the  floor  was  upraised,  and  brought  down 
with  intense  anger  upon  that  glistening  pate!  It  did 
look  as  if  Jack  thought,  "  Let  me  '  put  a  head  on ' 
that  flatterer!" 

The  gentleman's  feelings  may  be  imagined,  but 
cannot  be  described.  Up  rose  a  livid  spot,  strangely 
similar  to  a  fungus  on  the  shining  bole  of  a  birch- 
tree,  upon  which  excrescence,  like  a  soothing  poultice, 
one  hand  was  tenderly  placed  by  the  sufferer,  as  he 
said  pathetically  to  his  host,  "This  is  a  painful 
development!"  To  this  the  savant  added  dryly, 
"Very  strange;  and  so  unlocked  for!" 


14  ANIMAL   HUMOR. 

As  the  fable  puts  it,  "  What  was  fun  for  the  boys 
was  death  to  the  frogs/'  so  this  sudden  spurt  of  mali- 
cious mischief  so  distressing  to  its  victim  was  to  the 
spectator  irresistibly  funny.  In  truth,  the  learned  pro- 
fessor rather  enjoyed  the  mishap  of  his  visitor.  It  is 
certain  he  did  not  lecture  Jack  on  his  evil  ways.  If 
the  droll  beast  could  have  put  the  affair  into  words,  it 
would  have  had  the  brilliancy  of  wit.  In  pantomime, 
such  a  scene  would  bring  down  the  house  like  a  hurri- 
cane. Is  it  supposable  that  Jack  was  unconscious  of 
the  fun?  I  do  not  think  so. 

The  Monkey  Tease. 

It  seems  to  me  that  the  most  human  side  of  a  mon- 
key is  his  disposition  to  tease.  In  this  some  of  them 
are  inveterate,  ever  twitching  at  the  tails  of  their 
more  peaceable  fellows.  Surely  it  is  all  for  fun ;  but  is 
it  not  a  vice?  Has  the  human  teaser  anything  against 
the  object  of  his  persecution?  Usually  he  has  not. 
He  would  even  do  his  victim  a  kindness  upon  occasion. 
And  yet  though  at  times  brimful  of  good-nature,  this 
persistent  paradox  of  cruelty  seeks  pleasure  in  the  in- 
fliction of  pain,  and  is  "  only  in  fun." 

Along  the  highway,  within  sight  of  my  study,  is  a 
field.  The  ploughboy  whistles  as  he  treads  in  the 
turned  furrow,  happily  ignorant  of  the  shocking  tragedy 
enacted  there  in  the  name  of  justice,  long  ago ;  for  in 
that  place  a  poor  slave,  never  more  than  "  half  bright," 
was  executed. 

As    the    law    phrased  it,  the    hapless    wretch    "had 


MONKEY    DIDOS.  15 

committed  murder."  But  the  story  is  brief,  and 
perhaps  instructive.  In  the  neighborhood  lived  an 
habitual  tease,  and  the  negro  was  his  especial  game. 
At  any  time  and  in  every  place,  —  on  the  road,  in  the 
store,  or  the  hostelry,  —  he  would  get  the  laugh  on  his 
victim,  who  would  so  far  forget  himself  as  to 
sputter  in  rage.  Finally  the  temper  of  the  man  was 
exasperated  to  such  a  degree  that  it  rose  to  white  heat. 
Like  a  flash  came  the  one  blow  by  which  his  tormentor 
was  slain.  And  all  this  came  of  sport ! 

Is  it  not  noteworthy  that  the  fun  of  animals  is 
chiefly  got  at  in  sham-battles,  amid  the  roar  of  mock 
anger,  and  sometimes  having  a  wind-up  of  the  real 
thing  ?  Boys  too  often  love  to  tease  and  worry  animals, 
and  not  less  one  another.  It  is  with  the  same  impulse 
that  a  boy  ties  a  tin  pan  to  a  cur's  tail,  or  pins  some- 
thing on  a  playmate's  back  to  annoy  him ;  and  from 
the  same  source  come  tripping,  and  sparring,  and 
knocking  the  hat  down  over  the  eyes.  If  motive  be 
the  gauge,  how  fine  the  line  between  much  of  boyish 
roguery  and  monkey  mischief  generally  !  Ateles  played 
tag,  and  Jack  attacked  me  in  fun  and  the  bald  man 
in  earnest.  On  the  doctrine  of  identity,  our  illiterate 
neighbor  spoke  more  astutely  than  he  supposed  when 
he  bade  a  teasing  wag  not  to  cut  up  any  more  monkey 
didos  with  him. 

Who  has  not  seen  in  some  men  a  humor  of  an 
inhuman  sort,  —  a  Satanic  sense  or  relish  for  torment 
and  destruction  mixed  with  better  traits?  Jack  had 
this  monkey  malady  in  streaks.  Once  when  his 
master  and  mistress  were  from  home  he  got  loose, 


16  ANIMAL   HUMOR. 

and  found  his  way  to  the  closet  of  sweetmeats.  A 
few  minutes  sufficed  him  to  eat  to  satiety;  then  the 
pure  viciousness  of  the  beast  showed  itself.  He  took 
the  precious  sweets  from  the  jars  and  threw  them 
about  the  floor,  seemingly  everywhere.  He  even  daubed 
them  on  the  elegantly  papered  walls  of  the  drawing- 
room.  Oh,  was  not  this  the  very  delectation  of  fun  ? 
"  A  melancholy  scene ! "  did  you  say  ?  It  was,  in  Mil- 
tonian  phrase,  tl  delectable  both  to  behold  and  taste." 
Then  came  the  smashing  of  glass  and  china,  —  a  most 
exciting  performance.  The  scene  of  operations  was  now 
changed  to  the  museum  and  study  of  the  naturalist. 
Here  he  discovered  a  rich  and  novel  field  in  which  to 
exercise  his  peculiar  talents. 

The  professor  is  an  authority  on  all  reptilian  forms 
of  life.  It  is  but  recently  that  naturalists  made 
the  discovery  that  they  had  been  perpetrating  some 
queer  mistakes  in  regard  to  several  of  the  water  sala- 
manders. Just  here  is  not  the  place  for  technicalities, 
so  I  can  only  say  that  certain  salamander  larvae, 
or  young,  that  is,  undeveloped  or  incompleted  forms, 
were  supposed  to  be  adults,  and  as  such  had  their 
scientific  names.  Certain  other  forms  also  had  their 
systematic  names.  Now,  on  patiently  watching  the 
first .  through  all  its  changes,  it  was  found  to  develop 
into  the  latter.  Here,  then,  was  a  gross  error;  as  if 
a  boy  well  known  as  Joe  Black  should  when  man- 
grown  be  known  as  Bob  White.  Of  course  one  of 
these  salamander  names  had  to  be  dropped,  that 
of  the  young  form  only  being  now  acknowledged. 

The  discovery  of  the  identity  of  the  same  individual 


MONKEY   DIDOS.  17 

in  the  larva  and  adult  form  was  made  by  Professor 
O.  C.  Marsh.  But  scientific  men  like  to  repeat  the 
experiments  of  others.  Hence  a  similar  investigation 
was  under  progress  in  the  laboratory  when  Jack  en- 
tered himself  as  a  new  student. 

An  aquarium  contained  a  number  of  living  sala- 
manders. Jack  began  an  investigation.  He  is  curious 
about  live  things.  If  in  the  present  instance  vivisection 
was  intended,  it  was  very  bunglingly  done.  Each  one 
was  taken  out  of  the  water,  separately  examined, 
its  head  twisted  off,  and  head  and  body  laid  upon 
the  floor.  With  the  last  salamander  Jack's  demon- 
strations ceased.  He  had  exhausted  his  material. 

I  know  not  whether  the  mischief  done  was  fully  up 
to  his  heart's  content.  He  could  have  turned  from 
Biology  to  Palaeontology,  as  there  was  great  store  of 
fossil  bones  at  hand.  But  he  had  had  a  tearing 
time,  and  was  tired,  and  may  be  surfeited,  with  excess 
of  opportunity ;  moreover,  he  heard  his  master's  foot- 
steps. So  he  retired  to  the  shelf  in  his  cage,  where  he 
sat  looking  the  image  of  demure  and  passive  harmless- 
ness.  The  great  man  beheld  the  promiscuous  deso- 
lation, as  one  who  is  dazed  by  disaster. 

I  think  this  heartless  wantonness  so  general  in 
monkeys  has  its  counterpart  in  many  a  boy.  The 
urchin  who  burnt  the  cat,  when  asked  why  he  did  it 
answered,  "  Only  just  for  fun.  I  did  not  mean  any- 
thing." Is  not  this  grim  humor  a  phase  of  depravity 
common  to  man  and  beast? 

In  regard  to  Jack's  lassoing  the  chestnuts  on  the 
floor,  I  do  not  see,  with  an  able  thinker,  who  has 


18  ANIMAL   HUMOR. 

commented  on  my  statement,  the  necessity  of  his 
inheriting  the  trick  from  an  ancestor,  who  in  his 
native  forest  had  the  knack  of  employing  a  vine,  or 
flexible  twig,  to  loop  in  some  coveted  fruit  which 
might  be  far  out  on  the  tree.  That  Jack  might  have 
had  a  great-grandfather  clever  enough  for  this  we 
may  not  dispute.  But  that  he  had  an  ancestor  similarly 
held  in  limbo,  similarly  necessitated  and  tried  as  he 
had  been,  is  far  from  probable.  With  animals  and 
men,  necessity  is  the  mother  of  invention. 

Is  it  not  more  likely  that  Jack,  with  no  thanks 
to  any  ancestor,  was  thrown  upon  his  own  resources, 
and  had  to  exercise  his  wits  in  an  original  way? 
We  had  a  Coati-Mondi,  which  showed  a  similar  dex- 
terity. Each  of  these  animals  was  thrown  upon  his 
own  genius,  or  cleverness.  Coati  and  Cebus  had 
each  to  solve  the  puzzle  for  himself.  However  easy 
it  might  be  afterwards,  it  was  at  first  an  invention. 

The  kleptomania  of  the  corvine  family  of  birds  is 
notorious.  Tame  crows  and  jackdaws  will  pilfer  on 
passion,  and  have  secret  places  in  which  they  hoard 
their  useless  loot.  On  this  line  the  record  affects  quite 
unfavorably  the  morals  of  monkeys. 

It  was  at  a  visit  to  the  study  of  that  genial  natu- 
ralist, Frank  Buckland,  that  the  following  occurred. 
Among  his  many  pets  were  two  monkeys,  one  of  which 
was  the  pretty  but  not  uncommon  green  monkey 
of  India.  The  animals  were  in  a  cage.  Seeing  a 
carrot,  I  asked  if  I  might  give  it  to  them.  Mr. 
Buckland,  smiling,  said:  "As  a  gift  they  wouldn't 
thank  you.  They  prefer  to  steal  their  food  if  possible. 


MONKEY   DIDOS.  19 

Now,  take  the  carrot  and  handle  it  a  bit.  Ah,  they 
are  watching  you!  Now  sit  down  by  me  and  lay 
the  carrot  on  the  table  close  to  you,  —  only  don't  turn 
your  face  to  them." 

I  did  as  directed.  Then  Mr.  Buckland,  calling 
to  his  boy,  ordered  him  to  open  the  cage  door.  This 
was  done,  and  soon  out  came  the  monkeys.  It 
actually  seemed  planned  between  them ;  for  the  green 
monkey,  —  not  at  all  verdant,  as  I  soon  discovered, — 
led  the  way  sneakingly,  and  all  the  time  eying  me. 
When  within  jumping  distance  of  the  prize  he 
stopped  and  looked  wonderfully  innocent,  as  if  to 
blind  me  in  respect  to  his  intentions.  Then  came  the 
spring,  and  the  carrot  and  both  monkeys  in  a  trice 
were  on  one  of  the  high  shelves  of  the  laboratory, 
munching  at  their  booty,  which  being  stolen  tasted 
good. 

"  How,"  I  asked,  "  will  you  get  them  back  again  ? " 
for  I  had  begun  to  expect  disaster  among  the  speci- 
mens on  the  shelves. 

"That  is  easily  done,"  said  Mr.  Buckland.  "They 
have  a  wholesome  dread  of  a  broom.  A  mere  shake 
is  sufficient."  Saying  this  he  ordered  them  back  to 
their  cage,  at  the  same  instant  making  a  feint  of 
going  at  them  with  the  broom.  It  was  indeed  enough. 
Both  miscreants  sought  their  den  with  the  speed  which 
terror  inspires. 

This  pilfering  propensity  of  monkeys  is  often  the 
occasion  of  laughter,  as  I  witnessed  in  the  monkey- 
house  of  the  great  London  "Zoo."  There  was  a  notice 
up  cautioning  against  going  too  close  to  the  cage. 


20  ANIMAL   HUMOR. 

Albeit  the  warning,  I  saw  a  short-sighted  man  craning 
his  neck  over  the  railing  to  get  a  close  inspection  of 
the  monkeys.  In  a  moment  one  of  these  impersona- 
tions of  mischief  was  down,  and  had  the  poor  gentle- 
man's spectacles  in  possession,  and  was  back  again  to  his 
perch,  where  he  examined  his  booty  with  the  utmost 
gravity. 

It  was  a  pity  to  see  the  poor  man's  embarrass- 
ment. The  keeper  came  to  %  his  aid,  and  with  his 
whip  entered  the  cage,  when  the  thief  dropped  the 
spectacles,  which  were  returned  to  their  owner, — 
though  in  a  very  fragmentary  condition. 

And  now  came  the  sequel,  which,  like  the  denoue- 
ment in  any  well-managed  entertainment,  was  the 
most  amusing  part.  A  woman,  evidently  not  highly 
refined,  with  a  profusion  of  cheap  artificial  flowers 
on  her  hat,  so  enjoyed  the  confusion  of  the  poor 
gentleman  over  the  ruin  of  his  eye-glasses  that  she 
gave  vent  to  inordinate  laughter,  which  she  seemed 
unable  to  control.  Going  too  near  the  cage,  and 
lowering  her  head,  as  if  to  conceal  her  hilarity, 
the  same  impersonation  of  mischief  made  a  descent 
on  that  floral  display  with  a  resulting  wreck  of 
millinery  which  changed  the  laughter  into  a  scream 
of  feminine  distress.  The  monkey  was  allowed  to 
retain  his  spoils,  which  soon  were  in  a  thousand 
bits  on  the  floor  of  the  cage. 

I  saw  but  a  few  days  ago  a  number  of  South  Ameri- 
can monkeys  on  sale  at  Reiche's.  They  were  of  the 
same  species,  and  all  quite  young.  There  was  one, 
who,  without  any  physical  superiority  that  I  could 


MONKEY    DIDOS.  21 

see,  was  the  king  or  tyrant.  It  mattered  not  how 
full  he  might  be,  it  seemed  to  him  a  luxury  to 
get  a  morsel  by  stealth.  And  although  he  had  eaten 
to  a  surfeit  of  food  supplied  in  the  regular  way,  he 
must  top  off  with  a  pilfered  bit;  so  knocking  down 
one  of  his  subjects,  compelling  him  to  open  wide  his 
mouth,  he  would  abstract  the  coveted  morsel,  and 
transfer  it  to  his  own  maw ;  which  done,  his  meal 
was  complete,  and  he  would  mount  his  perch  to 
ruminate  in  manifest  peace  of  mind. 

But  enough  has  been  said  for  the  monkeys;  so 
they  shall  be  left  while  we  consider  other  animal 
manifestations  of  a  kindlier  and  more  congenial  char- 
acter; for  in  monkey  humor  amiable  traits  do  not 
predominate.  We  miss  affection  and  devotion,  quali- 
ties so  eminent  in  some  animals  as  to  be  worthy 
to  rank  as  virtues.  I  am  sorry  to  say  that,  though 
Jocko  can  be  very  entertaining,  he  can  hardly  be 
deemed  lovable.  He  will  look  trustingly  to  his  mis- 
tress when  hungry,  but  her  bounty  excites  no  grate- 
fulness, and  the  attachment  weakens  when  she  has 
appeased 

"The  keen  demands  of  appetite." 

True,  he  will  prefer  his  mistress  to  all  other  persons, 
because  she  is  considered  a  protector.  He  is  a  pilferer 
on  passion,  and  his  temper  is  capricious.  One  with 
winsome  ways  is  exceptional;  and  I  have  known  that 
tiniest  of  monkey  midgets,  a  Marmoset,  to  bite  the 
hand  that  fed  it,  and  chatter  querulously  as  if  ill- 
humor  was  ingrained. 


CHAPTER    IV. 


ATSTTMATj     HUMOR.  —  CANINE     CUNNINGS. 

"Three  or  four  gentleman -like  dogs." 

ROM  a  boy  up  the  writer  has  held  companion- 
ship with  dogs  of  many  kinds,  both  small  and 
great.  Every  one  of  them  had  its  individual 
character,  — "  the  little  dogs  and  all,  Tray,  Blanch,  and 
Sweetheart."  Each  one  in  kind  or  degree  had  its  own 
virtues  and  failings,  its  own  levities  and  gravities. 
Were  but  the  half  written  that  I  could  tell,  it  would 
make  a  book.  A  few  recollections  shall  suffice.  And 
first,  - 

Dick,  our  Black-and-Tan. 

For  striking  contrasts  of  fun  and  pathos  I  would 
commend  to  you  our  young  dog  Dick,  a  medium-sized 
"  black-and-tan."  On  his  mother's  side  he  was  high- 
bred ;  of  his  father  less  was  known.  The  one  composite 
word  which  expressed  the  mental  make-up  of  the 
animal  was  whole-soul-ed-ness.  When  Dick  set  out 
for  a  frolic,  all  his  powers  were  enlisted  for  the 
occasion.  There  was  nothing  perfunctory  in  his 
nature.  Whatever  he  went  about  he  gave  his  whole 

mind  to. 

22 


CANINE    CUNNINGS.  23 

At  make-believe  anger  no  canine  could  excel  him, 
and  I  have  never  seen  his  equal.  I  would  set 
him  on  his  mistress,  to  whom  he  was  devotedly 
attached.  He  would  leap  at  her  as  if  meaning  serious 
business;  would  take  her  bare  arm  into  his  mouth 
and  feignedly  pull  and  tear.  The  savagery  of  his 
growls  was  in  truth  too  highly  colored;  but  it  did 
help  out  the  play  of  ferocity.  Had  Dick  been  man 
instead  of  dog  his  theatrical  role  would  surely  have 
been  a  pirate,  buccaneer,  bandit,  or  some  such  melo- 
dramatic marauding  man  of  blood. 

In  the  bathos  of  tragic  swagger,  or  the  pathos  of 
the  impossible,  Dick  was  perfection.  He  rolled  the 
gutturals  with  such  grandly  intense  effect!  A  stranger 
entering  during  one  of  Dick's  tragedy  fits  would  have 
thought  his  mistress  a  doomed  woman.  Make-believe 
mad !  That  dog  could  simulate  "  the  very  torrent, 
tempest,  and  whirlwind  of  passion."  And  it  would  be 
simply  a  doggish  joke;  for  when  the  splurge  was  over, 
not  the  least  mark  would  be  on  my  lady's  imperiled 
arm.  Now  it  is  notable  that  in  real  fights,  though 
terrible,  the  noise  of  his  rage  was  mild  compared  with 
that  of  these  sham  contests,  in  which  he  would  "tear 
a  passion  to  very  rags." 

Dick  was  entirely  self-educated.  Not  one  of  his 
many  accomplishments  ever  came  of  training.  He 
was  "the  flower  of  the  family,"  his  brothers  and 
sisters  being  less  gifted.  Hence  I  thought  there  was 
originality  in  his  doggish  humor.  Even  the  children 
would  show  him  off.  "  Now,  Dick,  let 's  see  you  laugh." 
And  laugh  he  would,  puckering  up  his  mouth  and 


24  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

displaying  his  ivories.  So  droll  were  these  canine 
cachinations  that  the  laughter  of  the  spectators  was 
irrepressible.  He  would  stand  up  to  the  table,  putting 
his  forepaws  on  it;  and  when  told  to  do  so,  would 
make  a  feint  of  a  baby  cry  for  a  morsel  of  meat. 
The  imitation  of  the  baby's  whimpering  was  very 
amusing. 

In  all  these  manifestations  Dick  had  his  faculties 
well  under  control,  even  to  a  degree  seemingly  ludi- 
crous ;  for  he  could  end  and  offset  the  gayest  frolic 
with  a  sudden  sedateness  of  bearing.  What  seemed 
the  very  abandon  of  play  would  close  up  in  a  serious 
comportment,  as  if  something  weighty  had  occurred  to 
his  mind.  This  faculty  in  the  dog  of  putting  extremes 
together  so  very  unexpectedly  sometimes  proved  an- 
noying, as  it  led  to  professional  embarrassment ;  for 
the  master  soon  found  himself  the  object  of  unpleasant 
comment  upon  the  street. 

If  permitted  to  accompany  me  on  a  village  stroll, 
he  would  walk  behind  with  the  staid  deportment 
of  a  footman  of  the  olden  time,  —  not  in  a  servile 
spirit,  however;  for  Dick  was  not  "an  hireling,"  but 
with  a  sort  of  serious  sobriety,  as  knowing  his  place, 
and  keeping  it  in  a  becoming  manner.  But  let  an- 
other dog  come  along  and  look  at  his  master,  and 
brush  him  ever  so  lightly  with  his  tail,  and  he  would 
fly  at  the  offender,  whatever  his  size,  with  a  ferocity 
that  counted  no  cost.  If  Dick  was  small,  he  was 
spry  and  wiry,  and  generally  the  chastisement  he 
administered  was  short,  sharp,  and  decisive.  If  it 
were  a  large  dog,  Dick  would  attack  him  scientifically. 


CANINE    CUNNINGS.  25 

He  was  agile  as  a  deer.  If  the  subject  for  correction 
was  one  of  the  heavy-weights,  Dick  would  spring 
into  the  air,  and  descend  upon  him  with  a  bite  in 
some  unexpected  place  in  the  upper  regions,  his  com- 
plicated tactics  and  rapid  evolutions  begetting  in  the 
mind  of  the  burlier  beast  a  perplexity  like  that  of 
the  Iron  Duke  when  he  beheld  the  strategy  of  the 
little  Corsican :  "  Hang  the  fellow !  he  fights  contrary 
to  rule!"  So  our  light-weight  Dick,  though  by  nature 
true  as  steel  to  his  friends  and  punctilious  as  to  the 
proprieties,  when  matched  against  a  heavier  foe  he  was 
tricky  in  tactics;  in  fact,  a  veritable  backbiter.  In  a 
word,  to  his  canine  conscience  all  was  fair  in  war. 

Dick  was  the  self-constituted  guardian  of  the  estab- 
lishment, and  the  presence  of  a  strange  dog  on  the 
premises  was  not  to  be  thought  of.  One  day  two 
big  fellows  were  espied  in  the  garden.  The  little  one 
went  for  them;  and,  depending  on  a  combination  of 
muscle  in  mass,  they  went  for  him,  but  could  not  find 
him !  His  movements  were  so  rapid.  He  was  now 
up  in  the  air,  and  anon  in  sharp  practice  upon  the 
back  of  each  bully  in  turn  with  bewildering  celerity. 
So  terrible  was  the  little  vixen's  back-biting  that  it 
would  damage  a  fighting  character  of  a  high  order, 
and  it  was  little  wonder  that  the  combination  of  brawn 
against  brain  broke  and  fled  in  precipitous  dismay. 

For  a  preacher  of  peace  this  state  militant  was 
too  inconsistent  to  be  other  than  unpleasant.  In 
plain  words,  Dick's  solicitous  attention  to  his  master's 
personal  welfare,  though  in  spirit  admirable,  through 
his  way  of  doing  it  had  become  to  a  degree  oppressive, 


26  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

as  the  minister's  good  name  was  now  associated  with 
some  notable  canine  contests.  What  would  you  think 
of  the  Village  Chronicle 's  going  out  of  its  way  to  wind 
up  a  dissertation  on  Village  Dog-Fights  thus  ? 

"As  regards  this  well-fought  contest  between  the 
expressman's  big  dog  Whitey  and  the  little  Dominie 
in  black,  all  must  admire  the  dogged  valor  which  gave 
victory  to  the  latter,  and  sent  the  former  from  the  field 
of  conflict  with  a  sad  curtailment  of  his  high  prestige. 
And  we  cannot  but  compliment  the  reverend  gentle- 
man on  his  being  possessed  of  so  large  an  amount  of 
fighting  capital  as  the  outcome  of  so  small  an  invest- 
ment in  dog-flesh.  The  next  time  the  little  Dominie 
in  black  goes  in,  our  wish  is  that  of  Cowper  in  '  John 
Gilpin,'  'may  we  be  there  to  see !  " 

Of  course  such  ethical  whisperings  from  so  im- 
maculate a  source  as  the  public  press  must  be 
heeded.  The  pastor  and  his  "  black-and-taii "  had 
been  unconsciously  attaining  an  unenviable  celebrity. 

Having  occasion  to  go  to  the  railroad  depot,  I 
took  the  precaution  to  shut  Dick  up.  But  love  laughs 
at  locksmiths.  Dick  was  at  the  station  as  soon  as  his 
master,  and  occupying  his  usual  place  behind  him. 
On  came  the  train.  A  village  mongrel,  notorious  for 
its  habit  of  following  horses  and  barking  at  them, 
came  yelping  defiantly  at  the  iron  steed.  We  stood 
waiting  for  the  train  to  stop;  this  done,  the  bully  dog 
retraced  his  steps  to  the  platform,  his  tail  wagging,  ex- 
pressive of  satisfaction  with  his  attentions  to  the  great 
fire-fiend.  It  was  evident  that  Dick,  who  had  kept 
close  to  my  side,  viewed  the  whole  performance  with 


CANINE    CUNNINGS.  27 

disgust,  and  but  for  what  followed  it  would  have  been 
treated  with  silent  contempt. 

Generally  dogs  take  to  me  on  sight,  whether  from 
the  "  cut  of  my  jib "  or  intuitively  I  cannot  say.  It 
may  be  that  personal  magnetism  has  its  influence;  for 
the  big  bully  dog  came  to  where  I  stood,  and  seemed 
by  his  conduct  to  be  claiming  my  approbation.  With 
this  Dick  lost  his  equanimity,  regarding  it  as  an  im- 
position on  his  master  not  to  be  allowed,  so  he  must 
administer  chastisement.  The  bully  dog  was  much  the 
larger,  and  stood  his  ground  for  a  few  moments ;  but  the 
punishment  inflicted  by  Dick  was  very  severe,  and  Sir 
Lofty  withdrew  in  a  very  humble  mood.  Our  efforts  to 
take  Dick  off  were  of  no  avail.  He  never  would  leave  a 
job  unfinished.  There  was  some  clapping  of  hands ;  and 
although  a  good  deal  annoyed,  we  yet  harbored  a  little 
concealed  pride,  which  was  somewhat  damped  by  a 
mongrel  specimen  of  humanity  in  the  crowd,  who  cried 
out,  "  Good  for  the  little  Dominie  in  black ! "  The  fel- 
low had  read  "  The  Chronicle." 

Dick's  talents  were  developed  precociously.  While 
but  a  very  young  dog  he  had  done  things  in  behalf 
of  "  sweet  charity "  which  should  have  won  for  him 
the  Humane  Medal.  One  of  these  acts  was  performed 
almost  ere  he  had  completed  the  shedding  of  his  teeth. 
It  was  so  touching,  that  if  done  by  a  child  it  would 
have  called  out  an  encomium. 

Says  Dr.  John  Brown,  the  hearty  and  delightful 
writer  on  dogs :  "  I  think  every  family  should  have  a 
dog.  It  is  like  having  a  perpetual  baby ;  it  is  the  play- 
thing and  crony  of  the  whole  house;  it  keeps  them  all 


ANIMAL   HUMOR. 

young;  and  then  he  tells  no  tales,  betrays  no  secrets, 
never  sulks,  asks  no  troublesome  questions,  never  gets 
into  debt,  never  comes  down  late  to  breakfast,  is  always 
ready  for  a  bit  of  fun,  lies  in  wait  for  it ;  and  you  may, 
if  choleric,  to  your  relief  kick  him  instead  of  some  one 
else  who  would  not  take  it  so  meekly,  and,  moreover, 
would  certainly  not,  as  he  does,  ask  your  pardon  for 
being  kicked." 

All  this  were  our  dogs  to  the  children.  But  at 
this  time  their  one  particular  crony  and  companion 
was  Dick.  He  and  our  little  boy  were  engaged  in  a 
rough  and  tumble  contest  on  the  kitchen  floor,  the  young 
dog  making  the  most  of  his  opportunity  to  maul  his 
young  master,  without  hurting  him. 

At  this  juncture,  and  when  the  glee  of  this  gam- 
bol was  at  its  height,  Maje,  the  old  black-and-tan,  now 
blind  and  decrepit,  was  observed  by  Dick  standing  at 
the  door,  waiting  to  be  let  out  for  his  morning  air- 
ing. The  day  was  very  cold,  and  the  ground  was 
covered  with  snow  which  had  fallen  in  the  night,  and 
was  the  first  snow  of  the  winter.  All  this  the  young 
dog  knew,  but  old  Maje  did  not,  and  the  poor  fellow 
was  helpless,  being  stone-blind  and  deaf.  So  the  young 
dog,  who  took  in  the  whole  situation,  withdrew  from 
the  frolic  and  devoted  himself  to  the  care  of  the 
old  animal,  lest  from  infirmities  he  should  suffer  by 
undue  exposure  to  the  suddenly  inclement  weather. 
Now  just  think  what  all  this  implies!  Allowing 
the  dog-mind  to  work  in  this  matter,  as  would 
the  man-mind,  —  and  what  other  way  can  be  sup- 
posed?—  then  are  there  not  some  fine  points  in  this 


CANINE    CUNNINGS.  29 

benevolence  of  the  young  dog?  I  must  say,  too,  that 
these  self-imposed  benefactions  of  the  youngling  were 
often  repeated. 

I  must  mention  another  though  similar  instance 
of  this  young  dog's  kindliness,  as  showing  self-sacri- 
fice, because  it  excited  in  us  who  watched  from  the 
window  both  amusement  and  admiration.  Though 
there  was  no  snow,  the  day  was  extremely  cold. 
The  old  dog  wanted  to  go  out,  and  Dick,  of  his  own 
accord,  took  charge  of  him.  I  verily  believe  that  the 
conception  of  the  young  dog  was  that  the  old  one 
stood  in  danger  of  getting  frozen  from  inability  to 
find  his  way  back  to  the  house.  But  the  old  fellow, 
who  did  nothing  but  eat  and  sleep,  was  as  fat  as  a 
bear  about  hibernation-time.  He  fairly  waddled  with 
his  load  of  adipose  tissue.  Not  so  his  youthful  guide, 
who  was  wiry  and  lean  from  incessant  activity.  Now 
old  Maje,  feeling  no  discomfort,  but  really  enjoying 
the  frosty  air,  was  in  no  haste  to  return;  but  poor 
Dick  stood  shivering  with  the  severity  of  the  weather, 
and  actually  whined  in  his  impatience  to  get  his 
charge  home  again.  Still,  notwithstanding  the  provok- 
ing insensibility  of  the  old  dog,  his  young  benefactor 
did  not  leave  him  a  moment  until  he  had  him  safely 
housed  once  more. 

"  And,"  says  the  objector,  "  what  has  this  last 
to  do  with  humor,  pray?  Why  it's  almost  pathetic, 
more  touching  than  funny,  I  should  say.*' 

Well  said.  You  have  made  a  good  point,  my 
friend.  But,  then,  true  humor  is  sometimes  tender 
as  sweet  charity.  Do  you  know  there  is  a  laughter 


30  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

which,  though  it  ripples  not  the  face  with  smiles, 
neither  shakes  the  cheeks  nor  sides,  yet  does  set  going 
a  bubbling  in  the  heart !  I  have  seen  a  child  smiling 
through  tears;  and  it  was  sweet  indeed  as  apple-blos- 
soms seen  through  the  mist  of  a  May  morning.  We 
do  not  yet  know  much  about  the  "  nervous  centers." 
The  springs  are  still  hidden ;  but  do  we  not  see  the  out- 
come of  their  being  touched?  The  play  of  the  mus- 
cles, and  the  soul-flash  at  the  eyes.  To  the  skilled 
colorist  belongs  the  impressible  witchery  of  tints. 
On  that  emotional  canvas,  the  "  face  divine,"  cannot 
we  see  that  the  tracings  of  humor  and  goodness  are 
in  blended  tints  within  the  same  line! 

Two  other  amiable  traits  of  Dick  must  be  men- 
tioned in  brief.  First,  fealty.  Though  it  seem  uncouth 
I  have  no  better  phrase,  —  he  was  cannily  clannish. 
He  would  not  hurt  any  child,  even  though  a  stranger. 
But  he  was  loyally  jealous  of  the  rights  of  the  chil- 
dren of  the  family;  and  it  was  amusing  to  see  his 
worry  whenever  his  mistress  took  the  infant  of  a 
friend  on  her  lap.  His  canine  sensibility  seemed 
wounded  by  the  impropriety  of  the  act;  and  how  in- 
tently and  pleadingly  he  would  look  into  her  face, 
the  very  picture  of  entreaty  and  distress !  Finding 
all  this  of  no  avail,  he  would  then  push  the  intruder 
with  his  nose,  as  if  to  dislodge  it  from  the  mater- 
nal throne  of  right  belonging  to  his  baby  master. 
When  the  child  was  given  to  its  own  nurse,  and  his 
mistress  took  her  own  upon  her  lap,  his  relief  was 
exhibited  in  a  way  so  pronounced  as  not  to  be 
mistaken. 


CANINE    CUNNINGS.  31 

And  albeit  this  clannishness,  the  noble  little  fellow 
could  be  generous,  and  even  magnanimous,  to  a  strange 
child.  Upon  occasion  among  our  visitors  was  a  little 
girl  who  took  to  our  pets  at  once,  at  every  visit. 
But,  as  it  often  is  with  children,  she  teased  them, 
and  even  hurt  them  sometimes.  Dick  being  among 
children  a  non-resistant  got  more  than  his  share  of 
this  persecution.  It  happened  one  day  that  for  an 
act  of  disobedience  the  father  of  the  child  was  about 
to  punish  her.  This  so  distressed  the  generous  dog 
that  he  thrust  himself  between  the  child  and  her  par- 
ent, and  remonstrated  in  a  threatening  way.  But 
that  threatening,  it  was  simply  diplomatic,  and  meant 
to  be  tentative  and  preventive.  As  a  phonic  effort 
it  was  a  queer  performance,  for  it  had  in  it  as 
much  entreaty  as  threat,  —  being  a  concoction  of 
bark  and  whine.  And  a  capital  tonic  it  was  for  a 
disordered  condition !  The  offended  father  took  it  all 
down  at  one  dose;  and  his  emotional  derangement 
was  quieted.  As  the  nostrum-men  have  it,  "he  was 
a  new  man." 

Much  more  could  easily  be  said  of  Dick,  in  whom 
shone  all  the  cardinal  virtues,  —  affection  for  and  devo- 
tion to  the  family,  and  in  an  admirable  degree  loyalty 
to  his  master.  And  when  it  came  to  the  exercise  of 
this  most  serious  function,  the  guarding  of  his  liege 
lord  from  the  impertinence  of  other  dogs,  the  display 
of  these  qualities  which  all  admire  was  really  grand. 
There  was  the  courage  against  all  odds,  a  wiry  endur- 
ance and  a  skill  of  the  highest  order.  He  was  truly 
a  dog  of  promise ;  for  almost  every  day  brought  a 


32  ANIMAL   HUMOR. 

fresh  surprise  at  something  new  in  his  conduct. 
He  had  that  quality  which  is  great  even  among 
men,  —  an  untiring  alertness  for  opportunity. 

But  Dick's  noble  career  was  brought  to  a  sudden 
close.  The  dog-days  had  come,  and  a  price  was  set 
on  all  dogs  equally,  whether  of  high  or  low  degree : 
"50  cents,  and  no  questions  asked."  The  job  was  un- 
dertaken by  two  negroes  notorious  for  their  nocturnal 
knowledge  of  all  the  hen-roosts  throughout  an  extent 
of  country.  And  they  had  tact  for  the  business.  One 
carried  a  short,  smooth  club,  and  the  other  a  rope  with 
a  noose.  The  club  was  hurled  with  a  whirling  move- 
ment along  the  walk  or  ground,  and  with  such  force 
as  to  take  an  unsuspecting  dog  off  his  legs,  if  it  failed 
to  break  them;  when  on  the  instant  the  other  fellow 
would  be  up,  and  have  his  noose  on  the  animal's  neck, 
and  both  would  drag  off  the  resisting  but  choking 
thing  to  its  ignominious  end. 

We  had  seen  the  two  fellows  prying  around  our 
premises,  and  precaution  had  been  taken  to  keep  the 
dogs  out  of  danger.  But  Dick  had  eluded  our  efforts, 
and  gotten  into  the  street,  and  was  captured,  taken  to 
the  pound,  and  executed  ere  we  could  know  the  facts. 
Poor  Dick!  How  undeserving  such  a  fate!  But  my 
pen  must  stop.  My  brain  is  seething  with  indignation 
as  I  write;  and  if  the  flow  of  utterance  were  equal  to 
the  torrent  of  feeling,  what  imprecations  would  leap 
into  words!  In  such  a  rush  of  emotion  I  cannot  but 
approve  the  sentiment  of  the  French  woman,  —  though 
I  do  not  recall  her  name,  —  who  said :  "  The  more  I 
know  of  men,  the  better  I  like  dogs." 


CANINE    CUNNINGS.  33 

Major,   our   Newfoundland. 

A  highly  aristocratic  dog  was  our  Major,  our  New- 
foundland. A  large,  handsome  beast,  with  a  heavy  black, 
curling  pelt.  He  came  to  us  in  a  somewhat  romantic 
way;  and  for  a  while  such  was  his  puppyish  destruc- 
tiveness,  that  it  became  a  trying  of  all  patience  to  put 
up  with  his  infantile  iniquity.  A  widow  friend  brought 
the  young  beast  with  the  pleading  request  that  we  would 
take  care  of  it  a  little  while,  —  which  "  little  while  "  ex- 
tended through  seventeen  years,  or  until  the  dog  gave 
up  the  ghost.  Our  friend  was  receiving  the  attentions 
of  a  major  in  the  service,  and  as  she  had  a  son,  aTsmall 
boy  at  boarding-school,  the  suitor  bought  the  pup  for 
the  lad ;  but  the  principal  had  ordered  it  to  be  returned 
as  a  nuisance  not  to  be  put  up  with. 

From  the  above  may  be  seen  how  the  pup  got  its 
name,  and  why  it  was  put  upon  us.  If  tied  up,  its 
incessant  cry  was  distressing;  and  if  let  loose,  its  de- 
structiveness  knew  no  limitations.  The  flowers  would 
be  scratched  up,  the  vegetables  chewed  into  bits,  and 
the  furniture  badly  injured.  Nothing  escaped  on  which 
it  was  possible  to  set  his  teeth,  sharp  as  chisels.  We 
had  an  old-time  chair,  an  heirloom,  made  of  hickory, 
and  it  seemed  to  us  that  age  had  hardened  it  into  iron. 
The  little  beast  got  a  chance  at  this  antique,  and  actually 
gnawed  through  the  rungs !  I  now  felt  that  patience 
had  ceased  to  be  a  virtue;  but  through  the  interces- 
sion of  his  mistress  the  animal  always  escaped  pun- 
ishment. 

The   pup   was    the   playfellow    of   the    onj 


34  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

baby.  Their  development  went  on  together,  and  it  was 
interesting  to  note  the  similarities.  We  were  at  first 
somewhat  fearful  of  the  dog's  sharp  teeth,  and  his  habit 
of  trying  them  on  everything.  But  in  due  time  he  got 
out  of  his  puppy  ways,  and  took  on  the  dignified  bearing 
of  a  gentlemanly  dog.  As  showing  solid  sense,  it  should 
be  mentioned  that,  though  the  baby  took  liberties,  and 
even  went  the  length  of  pushing  his  little  hands  into 
the  animal's  mouth,  it  never  hurt  the  child. 

Of  course  as  with  other  parents  each  new  way  of  the 
child  arrested  our  attention,  and  the  same  was  occasion- 
ally true  of  the  young  dog.  It  had  not  yet  learned  to 
bark,  and  must  have  been  about  six  months  old.  Yet  it 
had  a  whine,  and  a  cry  that  might  be  called  a  howl. 
One  Sunday  the  baby  and  the  pup  were  at  play  on  the 
floor.  The  dog  was  in  great  glee  jumping  upon  and 
making  believe  bite  the  child,  the  latter  enjoying  the 
fun,  and  laughing  until  the  tears  came. 

On  a  sudden  the  pup  emitted  a  bark.  It  was  loud 
and  deep.  The  child  was  amazed,  and  seemed  upon  the 
verge  of  crying  from  fright.  The  dog  got  uproarious. 
It  was  astonished  and  delighted  with  its  new  faculty,  like 
a  boy  that  has  for  the  first  time  learned  to  whistle.  The 
little  beast  seemed  bent  on  a  prolonged  exercise  of  its 
gift,  entirely  unmindful  of  the  meditations  of  the  young 
gentleman  upstairs  "preparing  for  the  ministry,"  who 
from  the  landing  uttered  an  angry  remonstrance 
against  the  unseemly  disturbance.  The  piety  of  the 
young  theologian  was  pronounced.  But  Maje  talked 
back;  and  the  student  closed  his  room-door  demon- 
stratively, and  in  despair. 


CANINE   CUNNINGS.  35 

Some  of  the  wild  dogs  are  voiceless,  —  that  is,  they 
cannot  bark.  Is  barking  one  of  the  results  of  domesti- 
cation? If  so,  how  varied  is  this  accomplishment,  and 
how  wide  the  difference  of  the  bark  in  the  different 
breeds.  There  are  individual  variations.  In  a  large 
household,  no  two  persons  have  their  voices  keyed  ex- 
actly alike.  It  is  averred  that  the  barn-owl,  which  in 
Europe  loves  to  lodge  in  the  towers  of  churches,  is  fond 
of  the  "  music  of  the  bells."  I  have  seen  dogs  wonder- 
fully affected  by  music,  —  pleasantly,  if  there  was  no 
discord  or  harshness,  but  otherwise  unpleasantly. 

My  little  boy,  unfortunately  for  Major,  found  out 
this  idiosyncrasy,  and  for  his  amusement  often  practiced 
on  the  poor  animal's  susceptibility  to  this  torture  of 
discord.  He  would  take  a  comb,  lay  upon  it  a  strip  of 
paper,  and  breathe  through  it,  extorting  strains  of  dismal 
melancholy.  The  beast  would  rise  on  his  haunches, 
raise  his  nose  in  the  air,  and  accompany  the  sound  with 
outbursts  of  howling  distress,  starting  with  an  explosive 
loudness  and  sinking  almost  into  a  whisper  of  agony. 
Though  excruciating,  the  drollery  of  the  performance 
was  actually  exquisite. 

Major's  play,  in  consequence  of  his  newly  devel- 
oped ability,  was  for  a  while  too  uproarious.  But  the 
novelty  gave  way  in  time,  and  a  becoming  sedateness  set 
in.  The  animal  grew  up  to  be  a  large,  handsome  beast, 
with  very  aristocratic  airs.  He  literally  stood  upon 
appearances.  As  we  were  living  in  a  collegiate  town, 
Major  took  very  kindly  to  the  students ;  and  put  himself 
upon  them  in  their  rambles,  always,  however,  coming 
promptly  home  when  the  walk  was  over. 


36  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

The  animal  made  a  distinction  even  among  the 
students.  A  college  student  could  enter  the  gate  before 
our  house  without  having  his  way  disputed;  but  if  the 
student  were  from  the  Theological  Seminary,  or  if  the 
caller  were  a  minister,  he  received  a  special  welcome  from 
the  dog.  Clergymen,  whether  full-fledged  or  inchoate, 
were  recognized  by  Major  with  special  respect.  But  for 
ill-dressed  persons  he  had  a  marked  dislike;  and  as 
for  beggars,  or  any  suspicious  persons,  his  hatred  was 
dangerous,  and  upon  several  occasions  caused  us  some 
serious  trouble. 

For  one  of  the  seminarians  Major  showed  a  special 
fondness,  although  he  never,  like  some  of  his  kin,  allowed 
a  new  attachment  to  weaken  his  proper  allegiance.  With 
this  student  he  went  out  on  a  walk  quite  often.  It  was 
about  five  years  afterwards,  when  we  wrere  living  at  a 
seaport,  and  during  which  time  none  of  us  had  seen 
the  young  man  above  mentioned,  that  lo !  the  dog 
brought  him  to  our  house.  The  animal  had  been  off 
on  a  stroll  with  some  other  dogs  to  the  steamboat  dock. 
There  was  a  great  crowd,  and  when  our  young  friend 
landed  in  the  throng,  Major  nosed  his  way  through, 
rubbed  against  the  young  minister,  who  at  once  recog- 
nized him,  and  said,  "  Go  on,  Maje,  and  I  '11  follow ! " 
And  so  the  animal  did  ;  keeping  right  before  him,  and 
observing  a  proper  pace,  he  brought  him  to  us. 

How  did  the  dog  recognize  the  young  man?  It 
was  by  that  fine  faculty  of  scent.  But  what  a  feat  of 
memory  is  implied  in  this !  for  about  five  years  had 
passed,  and  he  distinguished  the  odor  of  his  former 
acquaintance. 


CANINE    CUNNINGS.  37 

The  dog's  regard  for  the  "  cloth "  was  remarkable. 
On  one  occasion,  in  the  latter  part  of  summer,  we  shut  up 
the  house  and  took  a  stroll  to  a  wild  vine  which  was 
prolific  of  grapes.  The  fact  that  the  entire  household 
were  out,  including  the  baby,  made  it  a  great  occasion 
for  the  dog,  and  the  animal  enjoyed  it  highly.  We  were 
out  of  hearing  of  the  house,  but  it  seems  that  it  was 
otherwise  with  the  dog,  who,  without  our  noticing,  had 
disappeared.  Soon  he  was  seen  returning  to  the  party, 
and  bringing  with  him  a  young  clergyman.  He  had 
heard  him  knocking  at  the  door,  and  the  stranger  said 
that  the  gentleness  of  the  great  beast,  and  his  intelligent 
action,  told  him  plainly  enough  to  follow  him,  and  he 
would  be  led  to  his  master,  with  whom  he  had  business. 

The  dog  was  thoroughly  trusty.  Our  church  was 
several  miles  away ;  and  though  a  bad  example  was  set 
by  the  dogs  that  accompanied  their  owners  to  the  Sun- 
day service,  it  had  no  effect  on  Maje.  His  concern  was 
to  stay  at  home,  and  guard  the  house  when  all  were  gone 
to  church.  Besides,  he  knew  well  that  he  had  no  busi- 
ness in  such  a  place.  What  the  dog-mind  understood 
by  a  church  we  may  not  find  out  —  beyond  this  one  fact, 
that  it  was  a  place  where  the  minister  met  the  people, 
and  in  which  dogs  had  no  right  to  be  present.  But 
when  we  were  returning  home  he  always  met  us  at  a 
fixed  spot  about  five  hundred  feet  from  the  house,  and 
we  could  hear  him  start.  There  was  a  loud  bark  of  joy, 
and  a  spring  from  the  house-stoop,  which  told  it  all; 
and  the  dog  in  a  few  moments  would  be  seen  bounding 
down  the  lane,  to  the  special  delight  of  the  children. 

I  never  knew  but  one  bad  trait  in  the  noble  fellow. 


38  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

When  dogs  take  to  evil  ways,  as  with  men,  their  very 
smartness  sometimes  betrays  them.  My  good  wife  was 
rightly  proud  of  her  success  with  her  hennery ;  and  Maje 
had  accompanied  her  so  often,  that  he  knew  as  well  as 
she  where  the  eggs  were  likely  to  be  found.  Circum- 
stances led  to  the  suspicion  that  Maje,  trusty  as  he  was, 
was  not  immaculately  honest  at  all  points,  —  and  that 
he  drew  the  line  at  eggs,  of  which  he  would  appropriate 
one,  not  often,  but "  semi-occasionally,"  as  a  neighbor  said. 
As  we  never  caught  the  dog  in  the  act,  I  was  for  a  time 
unable  to  devise  any  method  of  curing  the  fault.  But 
the  opportunity  came  in  a  very  unexpected  way. 

One  day  his  mistress  remarked  to  her  mother  that 
the  supply  of  eggs  had  been  so  small  she  was  sure  that 
the  hens  "  were  stealing  their  nests  in  the  orchard."  So 
a  hunt  was  proposed,  in  which  the  two  went,  Maje  of 
course  accompanying.  The  result  wras  the  finding  of  a 
large  number  of  eggs. 

The  next  day  Maje  came  to  mother,  evidently  in 
great  excitement.  She  understood  that  he  desired  her 
to  go  with  him.  So  she  said,  "Go  on,  Maje,  and  I'll 
come."  That  was  enough.  The  animal  wanted  to  go 
to  the  orchard.  He  would  have  made  a  bee-line  for  it. 
There  was  a  good  reason  why  madame  did  not  care  to 
go  that  way:  it  would  require  a  little  climbing  over 
the  wall.  So  he  led  her  down  to  a  broken  gap  in  the 
stone  fence,  then  up  again  on  the  other  side  of  this 
wall,  thence  into  the  orchard  to  an  old  tree  with  a 
hummock  of  deep  grass  close  by,  and  pointing  his  nose 
into  it  seemed  to  say,  "  See  what  I  have  found ! "  And 
sure  enough,  there  was  a  fine  large  egg !  Taking  it  out 


CANINE    CUNNINGS.  39 

with  one  hand,  with  the  other  she  affectionately  patted 
the  sagacious  beast,  As  a  result  we  all  took  it  to  heart 
that  we  had  been  libeling  the  good  dog. 

In  the  course  of  the  day  mother  said  she  would 
make  a  cake,  and  the  egg  that  Maje  had  found  should 
go  in.  I  know  not  how  many  eggs  were  broken  and 
dropped  into  the  bowl,  but  the  last  one  was  Major's. 
It  went  in  souse!  not  as  a  sphere  of  semi-fluid  gold 
like  the  others,  but  an  addled  mass  of  corruption.  The 
dog  by  his  superior  scent  had  found  out  that  the  egg 
was  bad.  Of  course  it  was  not  worth  stealing;  so  he 
would  play  honest,  and  report  his  find.  My  plan  was 
now  laid.  The  next  morning  we  had  eggs  for  breakfast. 
Not  a  word  had  been  said  to  the  dog;  but  I  requested 
that  while  we  were  breakfasting  one  egg  should  be  left 
in  the  boiling  pot.  The  meal  over,  the  egg  was  taken 
out.  Tossing  it  from  hand  to  hand  to  prevent  its 
burning  me,  I  said  to  the  dog,  "Here,  Maje,  this  is 
for  you!" 

The  animal  seemed  half  wild  with  delight.  An  egg 
to  be  given  him !  such  a  thing  had  never  happened.  I 
then  sent  it  rolling  fast  down  the  sloping  sward.  Buoy- 
ant with  expectation,  he  ran  and  took  up  the  treacherous 
thing  with  his  mouth,  but  dropped  it  instantly.  And 
wonderful  was  the  change  of  expression  on  that  counte- 
nance !  First  the  eyes  shone  with  expectation,  then  for 
just  a  moment  came  the  dash  of  chagrin  and  terror, 
which  in  an  instant  changed  to  a  strange  look,  under 
which  he  slunk  away.  It  was  not  upbraiding,  as  if 
meant  to  say,  "  Master,  that  was  too  bad ! "  It  seemed 
to  me  rather  of  shame,  as  if  saying,  "  I  am  found  out ! " 


40  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

As  the  mother  often  is  to  her  children  a  screen 
from  their  wrong-doing,  and  a  shield  from  the  conse- 
quences,—  and  in  any  event  a  sympathizer,  —  so  it  was 
with  my  wife  and  our  pets.  In  every  trouble  they  would 
run  to  her.  Smarting  under  his  severe  punishment, 
Major  went  to  his  mistress,  who  with  some  feeling  de- 
clared it  was  a  burning  shame  !  It  surely  was  a  caustic 
remedy.  But  then  it  effected  a  cure.  At  any  rate,  we 
never  suspected  the  animal  again ;  so  his  character  was 
reclaimed  from  that  day  forth. 

I  cannot  but  think  that  among  the  so-called  intel- 
ligent animals — though,  compared  with  civilized  man, 
it  must  be  small — there  may  be  found  a  moral  sense, 
even  a  conscience.  True,  we  are  as  yet  in  the  dark 
on  this  matter  of  animal  psychology ;  but  it  must  be 
admitted  that  dogs  do  often  know  when  they  are  doing 
wrong.  These  animals  will  steal  off  at  night  for  a 
sheep-killing  raid,  and,  their  slaughtering  fun  over,  how 
careful  the  rascals  are  on  two  points,  —  first,  to  go  to  the 
water,  the  pond  or  the  brook,  and  wash  away  every  trace 
of  the  crime ;  and,  secondly,  to  get  home  and  demurely 
ensconce  themselves  in  the  kennel  before  the  master  is 
out  of  bed. 

There  is  a  proverb,  "  Set  a  thief  to  catch  a  thief." 
But  the  detection  of  wrrong-doers  can  surely  be  effected  on 
a  higher  plane  than  that.  It  was  years  after  Maje  had 
mended  his  ways  that  he  showed  himself  to  be  an  ad- 
mirable detective.  A  friend  had  presented  his  mistress 
a  pair  of  high-bred  fowls.  One  night  they  were  stolen, 
much  to  the  regret  and  bewilderment  of  us  all.  Who 
could  have  taken  them?  Maje  solved  the  problem. 


CANINE    CUNNINGS.  41 

As  to  fancy  fowls,  it  is  sufficient  for  identification  if  the 
head  and  feet  can  be  seen.  The  day  after  the  birds  were 
missed  the  dog  brought  two  heads  to  the  house:  they 
belonged  to  the  stolen  poultry.  The  beast  knew  well 
what  he  was  about,  and  made  manifest  that  he  wanted 
one  of  us  to  go  with  him.  This  was  done,  keeping,  how- 
ever, well  behind  him.  The  animal  went  to  the  back 
of  a  tenement-house  where  the  offal  was  thrown;  there 
he  took  up  four  legs  in  his  mouth  and  brought  them 
home.  All  was  plain  as  day.  The  family  in  the  tene- 
ment were  notorious  chicken-thieves! 

Our  Major,  as  has  been  said,  was  choice  of  his 
company.  As  to  cats,  the  old  traditional  enmity  was 
rancorous  in  his  breast.  He  was  unhappy  if  any  were 
present;  but  he  was  forbidden  to  practice  his  policy  of 
extermination. 

One  evening  Deacon  Regnard,  a  mild  and  worthy 
man,  brought  his  whole  family  on  a  visit.  I  went  with 
him  to  the  gate  in  the  lane,  to  see  that  the  horse  and 
wagon  were  cared  for ;  which  done  we  were  returning  to 
the  house,  when,  as  I  supposed,  a  black  cat  was  seen  in 
the  shadow  cast  by  the  building  in  the  moonlight.  As 
Maje  was  with  us,  I  expected  there  would  be  a  scene. 
And  there  was !  but  not  what  was  looked  for.  As  to  the 
domestic  cat,  of  whatever  stripe,  Major  was  no  respecter 
of  persons,  attacking  all  alike.  But  there  must  be  dis- 
crimination somewhere;  so  an  exception  was  made  in 
favor  of  polecats.  I  noticed  that  Major  had  retired  from 
the  field.  He  had  gone  round  the  corner,  discretion 
being  the  better  part  of  valor.  The  good  deacon  was 
blind  of  one  eye,  hence  his  discretion  was  one-sided. 


42  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

There  is  a  proverb  about  evil  communications,  and  the 
deacon  within  a  few  minutes  after  his  arrival  had 
broken  up  the  evening  party  at  the  minister's  house. 

Wisdom  gains  with  experience.  After  this,  when  we 
were  living  in  the  Catskills,  Major  managed  a  similar 
matter  with  much  better  judgment.  My  next-door  neigh- 
bor was  a  stately  old  gentleman  who  had  served  in  the 
war  of  1812,  and  was  known  as  the  Colonel.  He  owned 
a  large  yellow  dog,  which  also  was  called  Colonel  by  the 
villagers.  "  The  twa  dogs "  Colonel  and  Major  became 
fast  friends ;  and  whenever  any  unusual  task  was  on 
hand,  a  combination  was  made  to  put  the  business 
through.  One  night  there  was  trouble  in  the  hennery 
of  Major's  mistress.  Mephitis  was  in  the  hencoop  !  Now, 
though  pitch  cannot  be  handled  without  defilement,  that 
intruder  must  be  ousted,  and  possibly  punished.  The  two 
united  for  the  undertaking.  As  the  superior  officer  the 
Colonel  was  allowed  not  only  to  lead  in  the  enterprise, 
but  also  to  do  all  the  fighting.  There  wras  a  warm  time ; 
and  the  battle  might  be  scented  from  afar.  When  the 
job  was  finished  the  Major  wTas  scathless,  the  Colonel 
only  bearing  evidence  of  the  fray. 

It  is  certain  that  dogs  can  sometimes  interpret  the 
drift  of  things,  and  so  foretell  events.  When  we  were 
packing  up,  ready  to  leave  our  home  in  the  Catskills, 
Maje  was  very  uneasy.  The  day  came  for  leaving,  and 
the  stage  was  at  the  door  to  take  us  nearly  thirty  miles 
to  the  steamboat.  Where  was  Maje?  I  had  his  collar, 
and  a  cord,  and  wanted  to  put  him  in  the  stage.  I  got 
worried,  as  time  was  now  a  consideration.  So  we  must 
go  without  him !  Now  that  is  just  what  he  was  afraid 


CANINE    CUNNINGS.  43 

of!  and  when  I  went  to  put  one  of  the  children  in  the 
coach,  there  was  the  dog !  He  had  got  in  by  stealth,  and 
had  endeavored  to  conceal  himself  under  a  seat. 

As  to  the  solemnities  of  birth  and  death,  that  animal 
upon  occasion  perplexed  me  profoundly.  He  knew 
of  the  birth  of  a  little  mistress  before  I  did.  The  three 
of  us,  myself,  my  little  boy,  and  the  dog,  were  play- 
ing together,  when  on  a  sudden  he  disappeared.  He 
was  not  gone  more  than  three  minutes,  during  which 
time  the  big  beast  had  entered  the  natal  chamber, 
pushed  the  terrified  nurse  aside,  forced  his  black  nose 
under  the  bedclothes,  kissed  the  baby,  licked  the  hand 
of  its  mother ;  then  in  the  most  orderly  way,  and^of  his 
own  accord,  he  left  the  room,  and  came  back  to  tell  me 
as  well  as  he  was  able  about  the  new  arrival. 

My  wife's  mother  was  taken  ill,  and  it  soon  became 
evident  that  there  was  little  hope  of  recovery.  None 
knew  it  better  than  the  noble  creature ;  and  day  by  day 
he  insisted  on  lying  by  her  bedside,  so  that  when  the 
end  did  come  the  poor  animal  had  to  be  forced  from 
the  room,  to  vent  his  grief  elsewhere. 

One  of  my  children  was  taken  sick.  By  this  time 
Maje  had  become  old  and  infirm,  so  much  so  that  to  go 
up  steps  was  a  painful  effort.  To  reach  the  bedroom 
where  his  little  mistress  lay  he  would  have  to  ascend 
two  flights  of  stairs.  The  dear  old  fellow  was  found 
by  a  lady  friend  in  the  middle  of  the  second  stairs, 
suffering  from  his  efforts.  She  kindly  carried  the  heavy 
beast  down  to  the  kitchen ;  then  returned,  and  told  the 
child's  mother,  who,  after  listening  with  painful  interest, 
said:  "Ah,  I  wish  you  had  helped  poor  Maje  up!  I 


44 


ANIMAL    HUMOR. 


remember  his  attention  to  mother  when  on  her  dying 
bed.  And  now  my  hope  is  gone.  I  see  plainly  that 
we  must  lose  our  dear  child !  The  old  dog  has  foreseen 
what  is  coming ! "  And  the  mother's  foreboding  proved 
true. 

It  was  even  so !  Soon  the  sweet  child  was  laid  where 
the  purple  asters  were  blooming.  And  it  was  not  long 
afterwards  that  old  Major  himself  crossed  the  bourne 
appointed  for  all  living,  whether  dogs  or  men.  In  the 
children  especially  the  old  dog  had  sincere  mourners. 
They  had  watched  him  attentively  for  a  few  days,  during 
which  the  animal  was  sinking  simply  with  age;  and 
when  the  end  came  there  was  genuine  grief. 

His  young  master,  now  a  lad  turned  sixteen,  dug 
the  grave.  I  was  away  from  home.  The  mother  told 
me  they  all  cried,  —  the  boy's  tears  falling  on  his  spade. 
He  and  his  sister,  with  a  brother  both  much  younger, 
gathered  a  profusion  of  ox-eye  daisies,  for  a  soft  en- 
swathement  for  their  old  playmate.  Thus  lovingly  in 
a  shroud  of  simple  wild-flowers  the  companion  of  a 
lifetime  was  gently  laid  to  rest ! 

For  a  long  time  the  children  would  often  recall  some 
act  or  trait  of  their  old  playfellow.  The  little  girl  had  to 
tell  every  coiner  of  his  death,  even  the  aged  fishmonger 
at  the  kitchen  door. 

"  When  did  old  Maje  die,  sissy  ?  "  asked  the  fisherman. 

"Just  at  the  edge  of  evening." 

"  What !  why  that  was  just  ebb-tide !  So  the  good  old 
dog  went  out  with  the  waters,  as  folks  do !  Ah,  missy, 
every  way  old  Maje  was  an  uncommon  dog." 


CANINE    CUNNINGS.  45 


The   Dog   of   Ulysses. 

Those  were  truly  golden  hours  when  upon  fitting 
occasions  I  used  to  narrate  to  my  children  little  episodes 
from  nature.  The  death  of  old  Major  afforded  another 
opportunity.  Then  came  the  pleasure  of  anticipation 
when  it  was  known  that  I  was  going  to  tell  a  dog-story 
nearly  three  thousand  years  old.  So  in  few  words  a 
sketch  of  Homer's  Ulysses  was  given,  —  his  return  from 
the  siege  of  Troy,  after  innumerable  perils  by  land  and 
sea,  —  how  he  came  back  in  the  garb  of  a  beggar  after 
an  absence  of  nearly  twenty  years,  —  his  entertainment 
as  a  stranger  by  his  swineherd  Emmseus, —  his  Recog- 
nition by  the  old  dog  Argus,  after  a  bare  escape  from 
destruction  by  the  younger  dogs.  I  then  read  them  the 
following  free  paraphrase  of  the  poet's  story : 

HOW    OLD    ARGUS    DIED. 

Through  full  a  score  of  years  of  trials  great 

Ulysses  had  not  seen  his  palace  gate! 

In  woes  on  shore  and  wreckage  sad  at  sea, 

He  seemed  the  doomed  son  of  Destiny. 

At  last  his  countless  wanderings  are  o'er; 

In  beggar's  garb  he  's  reached  his  swineherd's  door  : 

Emmeeus  was  this  aged  servant's  name, 

Who  knew  not  of  his  liege-lord's  Trojan  fame. 

He  mourned  his  master,  lost  to  wife  and  home, 

As  dead,  or  doomed  in  cruel  realms  to  roam. 

Thus  was  he  musing  'bout  his  lord — when,  hark! 

He  hears  his  hounds  in  loud  ill-meaning  bark. 

Inhospitality  —  thus  did  the  swineherd  hold  — 

Is  base  as  towards  the  wanderer  from  the  fold. 


46  ANIMAL   HUMOR. 

A  slave  unknowing  might  take  pious  charge 
Of  some  one  whom  the  gods  had  sent  at  large. 
Thus  furious  at  the  insensate  brutes  he  went, 
And  right  and  left  his  righteous  rage  he  spent. 
With  staff  belaboring  he  soon  set  free 
From  their  assault  the  beggar  thought  to  be. 
His  guest  well  housed  and  fed,  he  opes  his  mind 
About  his  lord  in  words  both  wise  and  kind. 

"My  dogs  do  beggars  hate,  nor  heed  my  fears 
Such  may  befall  my  master  unawares ! 
They  hurt  my  plea  that  Fate's  all-staying  hands 
May  help  my  lord  if  in  unfriendly  lands." 

Thus  all  unwittingly  with  pious  fear 

The  swineherd  held  Ulysses'  listening  ear. 

"Ah,  were  my  master  only  home  to-day 

Naught  from  these  miscreants  his  right  arm  could  stay, 

Who  wife  and  son  despite  do  revel  hold 

Like  wolves  when  shepherd  is  away  from  fold. 

They  boast  Ulysses  dead,  so  long  from  home  — 

Ah!  were  he  back  'twould  be  their  day  of  doom." 

A  nigUt's  sleep  with  his  herdsman  him  refreshed, — 

Though  as  a  squalid  beggar  still  he  's  dressed, 

This  state  of  things  he  'd  see  with  his  own  eyes 

The  better  in  his  mendicant  disguise. 

So  'twas  next  day,  and  at  his  own  request, 

To  the  great  house  the  swineherd  led  his  guest. 

They  had  near  passed  the  stable  ordure  by, 

When  from  Ulysses'  keen,  observant  eye 

A  tear  unbidden  fell!     There  Argus  lay, — 

The  vermin  slowly  eating  life  away. 

A  brave  young  dog  was  he,  his  master's  joy, 

When  long  ago  the  chieftain  left  for  Troy. 

The  pseudo-mendicant  suppressed  his  thought, 

Hence  still  his  name  the  serf  suspected  not. 


CANINE    CUNNINGS.  47 

The  beggar's  pitying  made   Emmacus  bold 
To  tell  of  memories  of  times  of  old. 

"This  is  old  Argus,  once  a  famous  brute; 

Of  dogs  our  isle  had  none  of  his  repute ! 

He  was  my  master's  favorite  mastiff  when 

He  left  his  home  for  lands  of  hostile  men. 

Oh,  but  a  grand,  courageous  dog  was  he, 

'Fore  whom  the  fiercest  ravening  beast  would  flee! 

Ah,  had  he  now  the  strength  he  vaunted  then, 

My  master's  house  he  'd  empty  of  these  men." 

Then  to  the  serf,  so  true  beyond  his  kind, 
Ulysses  fain  would  vent  his  aching  mind. 
"  How  ill  when  servants  pass  beyond  control  — 
This  base  neglect  should  roil  one's  inmost  soul." 

The  old  dog  stirs,  then  drops  his  lifted  ears  — 
For  'tis  his  master's  very  voice  he  hears! 
'Twas  aged  Argus!   poor  old  dog,  —  too  weak 
To  rise  or  bark,  or  any  way  to  speak! 
Though  the  poor  beast  entirely  helpless  lay, 
He  wagged  his  tail  in  a  responsive  way! 
Too  feeble  he  to  move,  —  and  even  blind, 
He  knew  his  master,  and  just  weakly  whined ; 
A  weary  score  of  years  away,  't  were  vain 
To  hope  to  see  his  living  lord  again. 
A  gladsome  thrill,  ere  the  ordained  release, 
One  pang  of  joy,  and  Argus  died  in  peace ! 


Nero   of  the   Catskills. 

Having  showed  what  may  be  called  dog  divination  in 
Major,  I  must  narrate  an  occurrence  when  I  was  living 
in  the  Catskills.  A  farmer  owned  a  valuable  dog  named 


48  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

Nero.  For  several  nights  there  had  been  sad  havoc 
among  the  sheep,  and  suspicion  had  fallen  upon  Nero, 
although  the  farmer  and  his  family  felt  certain  of  the 
animal's  innocence.  Every  precaution  was  now  taken 
to  keep  Nero  at  home  of  nights.  Still  the  havoc  went 
on,  and  suspicion  waxed  into  assurance ;  for  a  watch 
had  been  set,  and  it  was  now  asserted  that  the  dog  was 
seen  at  night  in  the  region  of  the  slaughter.  Because 
of  the  pains  taken  to  keep  him  at  home,  although 
feeling  assured  of  the  animal's  innocence,  the  farmer 
assented  to  an  examination  of  the  dog's  mouth.  To 
the  grief  of  the  family,  the  whole  thing  was  now  plain 
—  for  between  the  dog's  teeth  a  little  fresh  wool  wras 
found ! 

At  the  breakfast  the  farmer  told  the  family  that 
it  was  his  duty  to  kill  Nero.  His  ingenuity  in  eluding 
their  efforts,  and  the  clear  proof  of  his  guilt,  made  it 
certain  that  the  animal  was  hopelessly  incorrigible. 
During  this  time  Nero  was  in  his  accustomed  place 
under  the  table. 

But  when  the  breakfast  was  over  the  dog  was  not  to 
be  found.  He  had  withdrawn  unseen,  — just  gone  aside, 
may  be,  to  consider  his  evil  ways.  The  farmer  procured 
a  rope  with  which  to  tie  the  animal  to  a  tree,  and  had  his 
gun  heavily  loaded.  All  now  was  ready  for  the  execu- 
tion —  but  the  culprit  had  fled !  Assuredly  that  animal 
had  learned  all  about  it,  and  had  averted  his  doom  by 
flight. 

Three  years  rolled  by,  and  the  affair  was  well-nigh 
forgotten.  The  farmer  had  returned  home  late  one  night 
from  Catskill  village,  where  he  had  delivered  a  load  of 


CANINE    CUNNINGS.  49 

produce  on  the  steamboat.    At  the  breakfast  next  morn- 
ing he  interested  his  family  in  the  following  way: 

"I  saw  somebody  at  Catskill  yesterday,  and  you 
would  n't  guess  who  it  was.  Well,  after  shipping  my  stuff 
I  took  the  horses  to  the  tavern  stable  to  bait,  and  then 
took  a  stroll  in  the  town.  Feeling  something  at  my  legs 
behind,  I  turned,  and  there  was  Nero !  How  glad  I  was 
to  see  the  old  dog !  —  and  he  was  glad  too.  But  I  thought 
there  was  just  the  least  bit  of  offishness.  I  have  no  doubt 
that  he  looked  on  me  as  his  kind  old  master;  but  the 
recollection  was  there  of  what  he  had  escaped.  The  good 
dog !  It  was  of  no  use !  I  tried  to  coax  him  to  come 
with  me.  Having  paid  me  the  attention  he  thought  was 
due  —  he  got  out  of  my  reach  pretty  quickly.  I  believe 
the  dog  knew  it  wouldn't  do  to  come  back  where  his 
character  was  bad  —  and  perhaps,  too,  he  felt  his  whole 
duty  now  was  to  his  new  master;  but  who  he  was  he 
gave  me  no  chance  to  find  out." 


CHAPTER    V. 


A1STMAJL    HUMOR.  —  CANINE  CRANKS. 

HAVE  seen  among  dogs  a  noble  forbearance 
under  provocation,  —  a  sort  of  magnanimity, 
offsetting  the  meanness  of  some  ill-tempered  cur. 
But  in  every  instance  the  noble  beast  has  been  of  large 
size  and  good  strain.  This  occurs  the  oftenest  when  a 
fine  animal  is  receiving  the  impertinences  of  an  ill- 
bred  mongrel,  or  a  pampered  whiffet  whose  back  it 
could  break  as  it  might  that  of  a  rat.  The  following  I 
received  from  a  friend  who  came  from  the  place  of  its 
occurrence. 

The  Mastiff  and  the  Cur. 

In  a  Western  city,  a  few  years  ago,  a  fine  mastiff 
could  be  seen  in  the  morning  going  to  market, 
and  carrying  a  basket  with  his  mouth.  A  little  cur 
lay  in  wait  on  a  door-stoop,  of  set  purpose  to 
annoy  the  large  dog,  seeing  that  owing  to  the  basket 
in  his  mouth  the  mastiff  was  at  a  disadvantage. 
Now  to  me  it  seems  that  the  little  mongrel  had  two 
motives  under  consideration,  —  the  fidelity  of  the  large 
dog  would  not  allow  him  to  set  down  his  charge  in 

50 


CANINE    CRANKS.  51 

the  street  in  order  to  settle  with  any  side  issue,  and 
the  big  thing  that  it  was  for  one  of  his  size  to  be  able 
to  harass  so  great  a  fellow  with  positive  impunity! 
This  latter  to  the  little  whiffet  was  really  glorious. 

So  each  morning  as  the  mastiff  passed  the  house 
this  bit  of  canine  impertinence  would  dash  down  the 
steps  where  he  had  lain  in  waiting,  and  go  for  the 
great  brute's  tail ;  and  after  following  a  few  houses 
down  the  street,  would  return  barking,  as  if  to  say, 
"  See  what  I  have  done !  I  '11  teach  him  to  keep  off 
our  sidewalk  ! " 

The  above  performance  was  enacted  twice  a  day, — 
that  is  as  the  mastiff  went  to  market  with  his  empty 
basket,  and  as  he  returned  with  it  containing  what  he 
had  been  for. 

It  turned  out  that  the  neighbor  next  to  the  whif- 
fet's home  procured  a  force-pump  with  which  to 
wash  the  windows  of  his  house,  which  pump,  when 
so  used,  was  set  in  a  tub  filled  with  water.  The  an- 
noyance of  the  cur,  and  the  admirable  forbearance  of 
the  large  dog,  was  the  general  talk,  and  was  looked 
for  by  the  immediate  neighbors  twice  a  day.  But 
sometimes  there  comes  an  unexpected  tide  in  affairs. 

One  morning,  as  the  mastiff  was  going  to  market, 
the  man  with  the  force-pump  was  preparing  to  wash 
his  windows.  He  had  just  rilled  the  tub  with  water, 
when  on  came  the  large  dog  with  his  empty  basket, 
and  down  the  steps  dashed  the  little  torment,  barking 
at  its  utmost,  and  prudently  snapping  behind  at  the 
tail.  The  mastiff  now  saw  his  opportunity  to  settle  up 
all  scores  in  a  right  becoming  way.  He  stopped,  set 


52  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

down  his  basket,  seized  the  little  imp  of  incivility  by 
the  dorsal  ridge,  and  doused  it  in  the  water,  holding 
the  little  pest  down  a  few  moments,  and  repeating  the 
operation  until  he  thought  the  cure  complete. 

The  change  on  the  part  of  the  little  brute  from 
its  practiced  bark  of  insolence  to  its  yelp  of  abject  ter- 
ror would  have  excited  pity  where  the  facts  were  not 
all  known;  but  the  verdict  was,  " Served  him  right." 

The  mastiff  at  last  lifted  his  little  persecutor  out 
of  the  bath,  and  set  him  on  the  walk,  without  hurting 
the  tiny  torment  a  bit,  —  except,  perhaps,  the  wounding 
of  his  feelings.  It  was  a  highly  successful  case  of 
hydropathic  treatment. 

Now  it  is  observable,  that  the  large  dog  made  no 
fuss  whatever,  nor  lost  any  time  unnecessarily,  nor  did 
it  hurt  the  little  cur  beyond  cooling  off  his  impudence, 
and  replacing  that  commodity  with  the  rarer  one  of 
humility.  All  which  being  done  very  much  quicker 
than  it  can  be  told,  the  mastiff  picked  up  his  basket 
and  went  about  his  own  business.  Surely  the  chastise- 
ment, in  the  moderation  and  dignity  of  its  application, 
was  admirable. 

But  then,  Mastiff  Tige  could  not  afford  to  be  less 
than  magnanimous.  Crush  his  little  teaze !  What  could 
be  easier?  Oh,  no,  —  a  mild  punishment  will  suffice. 
Vengeance  on  a  weakling  would  sully  Tige's  pedigree. 
Was  not  she  of  his  stock  who  watched  by  her  master 
slain  in  the  battle  of  Agincourt?  Besides,  is  it  not 
down  in  the  Chronicles?  And  more,  as  Marshall  gives 
it,  was  not  he  a  mastiff  who  in  open  combat  did  con- 
quer a  lion  in  the  presence  of  James  I.?  And  did  not 


CANINE    CRANKS.  53 

the  king  make  royal  declaration  that  thenceforth  "  he 
that  had  fought  with  the  king  of  beasts  should  never 
fight  with  a  meaner  creature."  This  our  noble  brute 
had  borne  patiently,  and  now  he  had  cured  imperti- 
nence by  a  chastisement  inflicted  in  admirable  judg- 
ment and  with  moderation  and  dignity. 

Pompey   of  Edinburgh. 

Of  course  in  the  conduct  of  the  two  dogs  the 
cur  was  the  crank.  I  have  said  that  in  my  experience 
canine  crankiness  has  not  been  observed  in  dogs  of 
large  size  and  noble  strain.  This  should  be  modified 
to  this  extent,  that  I  have  not  seen  meanness  in  such. 
The  best  animals  may  have  idiosyncrasies,  or  unfor- 
tunate peculiarities  at  some  points.  It  was  thus  with 
Pompey,  the  black  Retriever,  the  subject  of  Hugh 
Miller's  narrative.  He  was  a  fine  animal,  with  some 
crankish  weaknesses,  and  whose  intelligence  recalls  our 
own  story  of  Nero  of  the  Catskills. 

Pompey  was  a  black  Retriever  belonging  to  a 
lady  in  Edinburgh,  Scotland.  He  had  an  unfortunate 
and  persistent  habit  of  damaging  the  gardens  around. 
This  made  it  necessary  to  get  him  out  of  the  way ; 
so  he  was  sent  to  be  kept  by  an  old  servant.  In 
this  new  family,  as  to  the  children  he  was  gentle, 
and  even  affectionate;  but  as  to  his  keeper's  dog,  he 
put  on  airs,  became  domineering,  and  even  savagely 
attacking  the  dog  occasionally.  Of  course  this  was  not 
to  be  borne  with ;  and  patience  at  last  was  exhausted, 
despite  his  specific  name  and  high  training.  Pompey 


54  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

could  not  retrieve  his  course.  He  was  given  over  to 
evil  ways;  and  it  was  now  agreed  upon  that  his 
bad  habits  were  incurable.  So  he  was  condemned  to 
death.  The  butcher  received  orders  for  his  execution, 
and  the  day  for  his  doom  was  set. 

This  was  sad  news  for  the  children,  who  loved 
the  dog  despite  his  faults.  It  meant  death  to  their 
new  playfellow.  Frequently,  with  their  arms  around 
the  neck  of  the  condemned  malefactor,  they  would 
commiserate  the  culprit,  and  exclaim  in  a  bemoaning 
way,  "  0  poor  Pompey !  You  're  going  to  be  hanged !  " 

It  was  soon  evident  that  the  dog  had  taken  the 
matter  to  heart;  for  on  the  morning  set  for  the 
hanging,  when  Pompey  was  wanted  he  had  disap- 
peared, being  indisposed  to  figure  in  such  an  arrange- 
ment. Where  he  had  gone  was  not  known,  for  he 
kept  out  of  the  way  —  until,  as  he  supposed,  the 
storm  had  blown  over,  when  he  returned  home. 

Here  was  the  weak  spot  in  the  animal's  tactics, — 
he  could  not  keep  away.  In  this  respect  he  was  less 
knowing  than  Nero.  So  another  day  was  set  for 
the  execution.  This  fact  being  mentioned  by  the  "  old 
servant"  to  a  lady  who  was  interested  in  Pompey, 
she  interceded,  and  obtained  a  reprieve  of  sentence, 
and  even  adopted  the  dog,  in  surety  for  his  future 
good  conduct. 

The  animal  seemed  to  have  resolved  to  mend  his 
ways,  for  he  did  turn  over  a  new  leaf,  and  conducted 
himself  commendably  under  his  new  mistress.  "  For 
a  full  year  he  was  much  depressed  in  spirits,  and  wore 
quite  a  hang-dog  look.  But  after  a  while  he  made 


CANINE    CRANKS.  55 

another  serious  slip.  "  There  was  a  general  change  of 
servants  in  the  house,  and  Pompey,  who  disliked 
.strangers,  bit  one  of  the  new-comers.  His  mistress, 
without  meaning  a  threat,  said  to  him,  "0  Pompey, 
you  '11  be  hanged  -after  all !  "  At  this  Pompey  again  dis- 
appeared, and  could  not  be  found. 

"  An  advertisement  in  The  Scotsman  was  answered 
by  a  gentleman,  who  stated  that  an  ownerless  dog, 
of  the  description  given,  had  been  caught  changing 
trains  at  Layton,  Cumberland.  Here  he  was  detained ; 
and  although  at  home  averse  to  strangers,  he  displayed 
at  once  extraordinary  urbanity,  and  was  soon  a  great 
favorite.  It  was  plainly  his  intention  to  ingratiate  him- 
self with  his  new  friends,  that  he  might  not  be  given 
up  to  a  disgraceful  death.  But  a  friend  of  his  mistress 
identified  him,  and  he  was  'sent  home. " 

In  Pompey's  conduct  we  find  intelligence  of  a 
high  order  manifested  on  several  lines.  He  understood 
well  the  meaning  of  certain  words,  about  which  he 
had  never  received  instruction.  And  he  knew  how  to 
travel  from  home,  although  it  was  said  he  had  never 
been  on  a  train.  And  how  well  he  could  act  upon 
expediency!  His  dislike  of  strangers  at  home,  —  how 
thoroughly  it  was  held  in  check  when  abroad,  and 
how  wise  his  deportment  in  making  friends  of  his  new 
acquaintances!  Can  we  do  less  than  admire  the  high 
quality  of  this  animal's  mind  ?  What  tact  in  escaping 
that  impending  judgment!  How  shrewd  his  behavior 
for  the  present!  And  what  forecasting  of  the  possible 
danger  in  the  future!  All  this  in  a  human  culprit 
would  be  called  sagacity. 


56  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 


Frenchie  the  Greyhound. 

"Headed  like  a  snake, 
Necked  like  a  drake; 
Backed  like  a  beam, 
Sided  like  a  bream; 
Tailed  like  a  rat, 
And  footed  like  a  cat." 

In  proportion  to  the  size  of  its  body  the  greyhound 
has  the  smallest  head  of  all  the  dogs;  hence  it  is  not 
noted  for  intellect,  —  its  energy  having  all  gone  in 
the  direction  of  speed,  there  is  none  to  spare  for 
brain-power.  In  former  times  the  greyhound  could 
cope  with  the  wolf,  but  for  many  hundred  years  he 
gradually  degenerated  in  strength,  and  towards  the  close 
of  the  last  century  was  so  deficient  in  courage  and 
perseverance  that  Lord  Oxford,  one  of  the  lights  of  the 
sporting-world  at  that  time,  paid  great  attention  to 
the  strain  and  training  of  his  Greyhounds.  He  was  so 
successful  that,  after  the  sixth  or  seventh  generation, 
he  secured  in  his  hounds  the  courage  and  indomita- 
ble perseverance  of  the  bull-dog.  Thus  the  hound 
having  once  started  after  his  game  did  not  relinquish 
the  chase  until  he  fell  exhausted,  or  perhaps  died.  This 
little  preamble  will  serve  to  introduce  Frenchie  to  the 
reader. 

This  young  dog  was  one  of  the  most  exquisitely 
graceful  creatures  I  ever  saw,  whether  for  form  or 
complexion.  He  was  a  pure  fawn-color,  and  young. 
The  dog  was  reputed  to  have  come  from  the  French 
steamer  L'Amerique  which  went  ashore  at  Long  Branch. 


CANINE    CRANKS.  57 

This  elegant  brute  played  the  role  of  a  tramp 
or  strolling  nuisance  to  perfection.  He  would  go  to  a 
house,  and  in  the  sheerest  cheek  impose  himself  upon 
its  hospitality.  His  pure  fawn  color,  and  faultless 
figure,  —  in  a  word,  his  appearance  of  a  real  "gentle- 
man-like dog,"  —  won  for  him  everywhere  a  reception 
and  a  home.  But  the  fine  fellow,  for  all  his  grace, 
was  a  graceless  scamp.  He  put  himself  as  a  stranger 
upon  us,  and  was  entertained  several  weeks,  during 
which  time  he  committed  slaughterous  havoc  in  a 
sty  of  hogs,  going  off  several  miles  for  the  sake  of 
doing  the  despicable  deed.  For  this  fun  I  had  to 
pay  the  piper,  being  mulcted  in  damages  as  the  quasi 
owner  of  the  beast,  in  that  I  had  harbored  the  va- 
grant. 

Among  the  dogs  Frenchie  seemed  to  be  looked 
up  to  as  a  pattern  of  canine  courtliness.  Chivalric 
he  was  not.  He  had  a  priggish  temper,  a  sort  of 
snappish  bravery,  and  this  testiness  made  him  untrusty 
and  dangerous.  You  could  not  punish  him.  The  ani- 
mal would  spring  at  you,  never  aiming  low,  but 
always  for*  the  throat.  My  oldest  son  on  one  occa- 
sion offended  him,  and  he  sprang  for  his  throat,  but 
was  caught  by  the  neck,  and  held  until  his  temper 
had  time  to  settle. 

As  to  form  Frenchie  was  a  genteel  exquisite.  I 
called  him  Don  Quixote,  —  pronounced  Don-ke-ho-ta. 
This  was  heard  by  the  expressman,  who  said  he 
didn't  think  him  much  like  a  donkey,  but  he  did 
think  that  as  a  dog-dude  he  could  n't  be  beat ! " 

On  another  occasion  I  had  to  interfere  to  arrest  his 


58  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

unprovoked  and  unknightly  design  upon  the  charcoal- 
vender  from  "The  Pines."  This  led  me  to  say,  by 
way  of  apology,  that  for  a  canine  so  highly  bred  his 
conduct  was  not  commendable.  To  this  our  "Finer," 
who  is  an  original,  replied: 

"  I  don't  know  what  a  canine  is,  unless  it 's  a 
breed  of  dogs ;  and  one  with  another  I  've  kept  a  good 
many  kinds  in  my  time,  —  setters,  pointers,  retrievers, 
rabbit,  and  coon  dogs,  —  but  for  show-pints  that  critter 
beats  all  nature.  He 's  just  the  handsomest  git-up  of 
good-for-nothingness  in  dog-flesh  that  ever  I  did  see; 
but  beyond  that  he 's  got  no  more  manners  than  a 
ground-hog." 

In  view  of  the  animal's  high  breeding  and  beauty, 
the  utter  absence  of  the  lovable  qualities  belonging 
to  a  dog  was  a  puzzle.  In  our  long  experience  with 
pets,  we  never  had  one,  this  excepted,  that  did  not 
take  to  its  mistress  with  marked  affection ;  and  her 
kindness  to  animals  was  sufficient  explanation. 

One  day  Frenchie  came  home  in  a  shocking  con- 
dition. He  had  a  clean-cut  wound  in  his  side  several 
inches  long.  The  poor  thing  was  laid*  up.  For 
many  days  my  wife  nursed  the  brute  with  watchful 
care.  Her  attentions  were  received  with  no  mani- 
festations of  emotion,  although  the  poor  beast  was 
utterly  helpless.  At  last  the  wound  closed,  and  the 
dog  left  his  bed.  He  took  his  food  in  the  usual  in- 
grate  way. 

On  animals  feeding  Krider  has  some  good  thoughts : 
"As  to  the  cat,  —  how  she  growls  like  a  tiger  over  its 
prey !  Mark  how  she  gorges,  only  purring  and  looking 


CANINE    CRANKS.  59 

with  fierce  eyes  for  more  when  the  last  morsel  is 
finished.  After  that  she  washes  her  whiskers  with 
a  world-wise  air,  and  the  entire  line  of  Adam  is 
nothing  to  her  until  she  grows  hungry  again. 

"  Observe  your  dog,  when  he  feeds,  —  how  his  tail 
goes,  and  his  eyes  pour  out  thankfulness!  At  every 
mouthful  he  looks  up  to  show  his  gratitude.  "We 
will  venture  to  say  that  few  Christians  feel  a  livelier 
sense  of  devotion  at  their  meals.  If  he  indulges  in 
any  mirth  at  his  dinner,  it  is  all  of  a  grateful  order. 
The  hand  which  feeds  him  is  his  divinity,  and  of 
course  he  looks  no  higher  in  returning  his  thanks." 

The  second  day  after  leaving  his  bed  the  dog 
went  to  his  mistress  to  be  fed.  She  gave  him  pru- 
dently, not  a  filling  meal,  saying,  "  You  shall  have 
more  by  and  by,  Frank."  He  ate  the  meal  in  the 
same  unemotional  way.  Then  the  ingrate  disappeared ! 
Yes,  left  for  parts  unknown.  It  was  some  months 
afterwards  that  we  heard  the  strange  tramp  had  estab- 
lished himself  on  a  farmer  some  twenty  miles  away, 
though  it  is  possible  he  may  have  had  at  least  one 
other  master  in  the  mean  time. 

In  this  way  Frenchie  tramped,  everywhere  making 
friends  at  sight,  and  after  getting  housed,  admired,  and 
petted,  turning  out  a  scamp  and  a  nuisance,  and 
at  his  own  volition  moving  on  to  impose  himself 
upon  the  good -nature  of  some  one  else.  For  a  cau- 
tion to  kindly  disposed  people  he  deserved  to  be 
branded  with  the  words  Cave  canemf  Latin  for  Be- 
ware of  the  dog  ! 


60  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 


Canine  Recluses. 

I  have  recollections  of  several  eccentric  dogs  whose 
acquaintance  was  not  to  be  cultivated.  One  was 
a  water-spaniel,  an  elegant  creature,  but  a  worthless 
character.  He  deserted  his  master,  and  for  a  few 
days  imposed  himself  upon  us.  He  then  took  a  fancy 
to  the  jail-yard,  devoting  his  attention  to  the  public 
crib,  on  which  he  got  fat. 

Another  was  a  yellow  mongrel  which  secreted  himself 
under  the  outhouse,  only  exposing  his  head  for  food. 
He  was  a  vicious  scamp,  —  unprincipled,  —  from  sheer 
wantonness  killing  chickens  on  the  sly,  for  all  madam's 
kindness  to  him ;  and  so  got  killed  himself. 

The  third  was  a  strange  being,  whose  history  no  one 
could  get  at.  The  theory  was  that  he  had  been  left  by 
the  circus.  This  dog  was  a  hermit  Diogenes.  Timid 
and  morose,  he  kept  himself  aloof  from  dogs  and  men. 
He  took  possession  of  the  middle  of  a  field,  and  in  all 
weathers,  in  rain  or  snow,  the  whole  year  round,  every 
night  he  barked  incessantly.  Occasionally  a  raid  upon 
"the  circus  dog"  would  be  made  by  the  village  boys  in 
troop,  and  he  would  flee  for  life.  But  when  the  night 
came  he  was  at  his  post  again,  barking  until  the  morning 
light, 

A   Trio   of  Tramps. 

In  Krider's  Sketches,  a  sporting  book  published  more 
than  thirty  years  ago,  mention  is  made  of  a  trio  of 
homeless  dogs  which  tramped  the  streets  of  Philadel- 


CANINE    CRANKS.  61 

phia  in  company.  They  were  "  sometimes  seen  lying 
side  by  side  on  a  door-step,  or  in  the  shade  of  a 
garden-wall;  at  other  times  foraging  in  the  alleys 
and  empty  market-houses ;  but  from  their  deformed 
appearance,  constant  companionship,  and  absolute  dis- 
connection with  man,  always  impressing  the  mind  of 
the  beholder  with  a  feeling  of  desolation  strangely 
foreign  to  the  scene. 

One,  a  female  with  a  broken  limb,  curiously  dis- 
torted, was  a  gaunt,  hollow-eyed  brute,  upon  whose 
infirmities  the  others  seemed  to  wait  with  tender  con- 
sideration, as  it  was  observed  that  she  was  always  the 
first  to  move  on  after  a  halt. 

Another,  an  old  mongrel  mastiff,  had  lost  his  upper 
lip,  which  gave  him  a  very  unsightly  look. 

The  third  was  perfect  in  form,  a  meek,  mild-eyed 
cur,  who  appeared  to  have  joined  the  two  misanthropes 
because  he  had  been  fairly  forsaken  by  the  world. 

"  There  was  something  strongly  expressive  of  apa- 
thetical  indifference  to  the  beings  around  them,  in 
the  aspect  of  the  first  two  mentioned.  Strictly  shun- 
ning the  society  of  their  race,  they  seemed  an  isolated 
community  in  the  midst  of  strangers.  The  human 
voice,  no  matter  how  kindly  tempered,  produced  no 
visible  effect,  except  to  make  them  move  listlessly  on. 
The  last  would  acknowledge  sympathy  with  man 
by  wagging  his  tail  when  spoken  to;  but  no  artifice 
could  induce  him  to  loiter  behind,  when  his  com- 
panions had  once  resumed  their  way. 

"Some  mysterious  feeling  appeared  to  bind  them 
inseparably  together.  They  never  disagreed,  and  were 


62  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

always  in  good  condition.  We  have  been  assured  by 
a  gentleman  of  the  highest  respectability,  that  his 
family  has  repeatedly  seen  the  last,  when  food  was 
offered  him,  go  quietly,  and  place  it  at  the  feet  of 
his  friends. 

"  And  thus,  for  several  successive  seasons,  the  strange 
trio  was  seen  in  various  parts  of  the  crowded  city,— 
always    together,   and    always    by   themselves,   lodging 
no   one  cared  where,   and   eventually   disappearing  no 
one  knew  how." 

The  writer  says  that  when  last  he  saw  these 
dogs,  it  was  evident  that  the  female  had  whelps, 
though  where  she  kept  her  litter  while  she  went 
with  the  other  dogs,  on  their  daily  rounds,  no  one 
seems  to  have  known. 

Leaving  these  three  vagrants,  the  following  capital 
sketch  is  from  the  same  source. 

The  Tyrant  Terriers. 

Dogs  have  been  known  to  form  offensive  and  defen- 
sive alliances  with  each  other,  which,  like  the  rulers 
of  the  earth,  are  liable  to  abrupt  and  disagreeable 
conclusions. 

A  physician  of  Philadelphia  had  in  his  stable  a 
terrier,  which  formed  a  league  of  this  kind  with  an 
individual  of  the  same  stock,  belonging  to  a  sugar- 
refiner  in  the  vicinity.  The  chief  end  of  this  alliance, 
it  was  observed,  was  to  mount  guard  at  a  corner  of 
the  court  on  which  the  stable  was  located,  and  make 
battle  with  anything  in  the  shape  of  perambulating 


CANINE    CRANKS.  63 

dog-flesh  which  might  happen  to  pass  that  way.  Now 
there  lived,  about  a  square  above  the  court,  a  Dutch 
baker,  who  owned  a  large  dog,  which  regularly  at- 
tended his  master  as  he  went  his  morning  rounds 
with  the  "  staff  of  life "  on  his  shoulder. 

This  was  a  quiet,  sleek,  well-intentioned  animal,  but 
a  few  months  out  of  the  days  of  his  puppyhood.  His 
name  was  Tim,  and  we  can  safely  aver  that  he  was 
a  dog  of  repute,  harboring  no  evil  designs  of  any  kind 
in  his  head ;  which,  to  tell  the  truth,  was  very  far  from 
being  the  case  with  the  terriers. 

Time  after  time  had  the  latter  assailed  and  beaten  the 
baker's  dog,  and  no  redress  could  the  sufferer  obtain, 
except,  perhaps,  when  some  vagrant  boy,  in  his  zeal  for 
fair  play,  would  shy  a  stone  at  the  heads  of  the  two 
bullies.  The  people  of  the  neighborhood  were  too  busy 
to  attend  to  the  quarrels  of  dogs ;  so  that,  unless  the  fates 
interfered  in  some  unforeseen  way,  there  really  appeared 
to  be  no  salvation  for  Tim,  since,  in  the  ordinary  course 
of  things,  there  was  every  prospect  that  the  breath  of 
life  was  eventually  to  be  worried  out  of  him. 

Months  passed  away,  and  the  dog  increased  in  size 
and  strength;  but  the  evil  under  which  he  had  so  long 
howled  was  by  no  means  abated.  So  far  from  it,  indeed, 
that  he  was  now  obliged  to  leave  the  baker  every  morn- 
ing at  the  first  street  above  the  court,  and  make  the 
circuit  of  the  square  to  escape  the  expectant  fangs  of 
these  two  sons  of  Cerberus. 

We  have  no  doubt  that  this  troubled  Tim  exceedingly, 
for  a  close  observer  of  these  sagacious  animals  will  tell 
you,  that  if  there  is  anything  which  a  faithful  dog 


64  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

takes  a  praiseworthy  pride  in,  it  is  in  appearing  to  the 
best  advantage  in  the  eyes  of  his  master. 

It  is  but  fair  to  state  that  the  two  tyrants  sometimes 
engaged  in  terrible  combats  with  strange  dogs,  and  that, 
so  far  as  we  can  learn,  they  invariably  came  off  victo- 
rious. No  doubt  these  desperate  contests,  witnessed  from 
afar,  struck  additional  terror  into  the  heart  of  Tim. 

However,  it  so  happened  that  upon  a  certain  New 
Year's  day,  as  the  doctor  and  the  sugar-refiner  were  con- 
versing in  the  street,  they  saw  the  baker  coming  towards 
them,  with  his  sleek  black  dog  behind  him.  The  two 
tyrants,  as  usual,  were  sitting  at  the  corners  of  the  court, 
on  the  qui  vive, —  the  bigger,  whose  name  was  Flame, 
mounted  on  a  fire-plug,  and  the  lesser,  who  was  called 
Smoke,  watching  beside  a  lamp-post.  The  name  of  the 
court,  we  should  not  forget  to  state,  was  Concord  Place,  — 
which  was  somewhat  at  variance  with  the  character 
of  its  guardians,  although  Relief  Alley,  a  narrow  passage 
directly  opposite,  was  no  misnomer,  so  far  as  it  is  con- 
nected with  our  narrative,  inasmuch  as  it  had  often 
saved  Tim,  at  need,  from  the  teeth  of  his  determined 
assailants. 

"  Now,"  said  the  doctor,  "  let  us  watch  the  motions  of 
these  three  dogs." 

"I  have  often  noticed  them  before,"  said  the  other, 
"  and  the  baker's  dog  will  certainly  leave  him  at  the 
next  street." 

But  whether  it  was  that  the  evil  had  reached  that 
pitch  at  which  endurance  ceases  to  be  a  virtue,  even  in 
a  dog ;  or  that  the  day  being  the  first  of  the  year,  Tim 
was  determined  to  begin  it  with  a  new  tally,  is  open 


CANINE    CRANKS.  65 

to  conjecture.  We  only,  as  historians,  faithfully 
chronicle  the  fact,  that,  with  head  and  tail  erect, 
deviating  not  a  hair's-breadth  from  his  route,  Tim 
sturdily  stuck  to  the  Dutchman's  heels. 

The  two  tyrants  bristled  their  spines,  erected  their 
cropped  ears,  and  waited  for  the  opportunity  to  pounce 
upon  him.  The  baker  stopped  at  a  customer's  door, 
delivered  his  bread,  and  passed  on.  Tim  followed; 
Flame  glanced  at  Smoke,  and,  as  was  the  rule  of 
warfare  observed  by  the  belligerents,  the  latter  ad- 
vanced to  commence  the  onslaught,  nothing  doubting 
of  an  easy  victory. 

But  the  instant  that  he  came  sufficiently  near  Tim, 
the  late  meek  and  gentle  disciple  of  endurance  sav- 
agely seized  him  by  the  back,  and,  lifting  him  clear 
from  the  ground,  shook  him  in  a  manner  which, 
however  delightful  to  the  doctor,  must  have  been  as 
disagreeable  as  unexpected  to  Smoke. 

"Served  him  exactly  right,"  said  the  sugar-refiner, 
gruffly,  while  the  doctor  cried  encore;  and  a  quick  eye, 
accustomed  to  read  the  physiognomies  of  quadrupeds, 
might  have  noticed  something  of  unpleasant  surprise  in 
the  looks  of  the  chief  tyrant.  Nevertheless,  quickly  de- 
s<-< 'inline  from  his  post  of  observation,  he  boldly  advanced 
to  the  rescue  of  his  comrade,  who  was  no  match  for  Tim 
now  that  his  ire  was  fully  awakened. 

The  beholders  were  now  all  expectation  to  see  what 
the  baker's  dog  would  do  in  this  emergency.  The  re- 
sult was  not  long  in  doubt;  for  as  Flame  approached 
Tim  gave  Smoke  a  last  severe  shake,  which  effectually 
settled  him  for  the  time,  and  meeting  his  chief  assailant 


66  ANIMAL    HUMOR, 

half-way,  grappled  him  with  a  fury  which,  as  he  was 
really  the  stronger  dog  of  the  two,  landed  him  on  his 
back  in  the  gutter  in  a  moment.  Smoke,  beholding  this 
with  increased  dismay,  fled  in  inglorious  haste  through 
Relief  Alley,  leaving  the  field  to  the  two  remaining  com- 
batants, who  fought  vigorously  for  a  few  minutes  longer, 
the  one  loath  to  lose  his  ancient  supremacy,  and  the 
other  determined  to  provide  anew  for  the  contingencies 
of  the  future. 

At  length  the  scale  of  battle  turned,  —  the  doctor's 
dog  cried  for  rnercy ;  and  Tim,  after  fairly  vanquishing 
the  two  redoubtable  tyrants,  trotted  on,  like  a  knight- 
errant  of  old,  to  rejoin  the  baker's  banner. 

"  Now,"  said  the  doctor,  "  that  dog  has  taught  us  a 
lesson  which  the  crowned  heads  of  Europe  might  learn 
with  advantage." 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  other ;  "  and  he  must  have  pre- 
meditated the  action,  for  to  my  certain  knowledge 
nothing  could  have  previously  induced  him  to  pass  that 
court  when  your  dog  or  mine  was  in  sight." 

"It  looks  very  like  the  reasoning  power,  I  confess," 
said  the  doctor ;  "  but  see !  here  comes  your  young  dog 
back." 

The  most  curious  part  of  the  affair  now  occurred; 
for  as  Smoke  came  up  to  Flame,  for  the  purpose,  no 
doubt,  of  comparing  injuries,  the  latter,  who  was  licking 
his  wounds,  instantly  flew  upon  him,  and,  without  paying 
the  least  regard  to  their  former  relations,  inflicted  upon 
him  a  tremendous  mauling.  At  this  sight  the  physician, 
unwilling  to  lose  his  professional  gravity  in  the  street, 
started  instanter  for  his  office ;  while  the  sugar-refiner, 


CANINE    CRANKS.  67 

albeit  not  possessed  of  so  quick  a  sense  of  the  ludicrous, 
retreated  to  a  counting-room  in  a  huge  smoky  building 
across  the  way.  The  alliance  was,  however,  dissolved, 
and  the  two  discomfited  tyrants  were  never  seen  together 
from  that  instant. 

In  this  story,  for  the  truth  of  which  we  can  vouch, 
we  see  strikingly  displayed,  first,  a  mutual  understand- 
ing, resulting  in  a  regular  alliance  for  the  purpose  of 
aggressive  warfare;  next,  endurance,  amounting  almost 
to  abject  cowardice,  on  the  part  of  a  third  dog;  then 
a  noble  resolution  to  resist  oppression  to  the  last;  and, 
finally,  a  violent  dissolution  of  the  league,  consequent 
upon  the  signal  defeat  of  the  two  tyrants. 

And  one  other  item  in  the  account  is  the  punish- 
ment which  Flame  inflicted  upon  Smoke,  who  as  ring- 
leader had  drawn  him  into  an  alliance,  or  course  of 
conduct,  which  had  resulted  in  such  unlooked-for 
disaster  and  ignominy. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


HUMOR.  —  SLEDGE-DOG   ANTICS. 

OT  all  wit  is  wisdom;  and  studied  waggery  is 
often  stilted  untruth.  It  was  an  ill-judged 
joke,  though  perpetrated  by  a  professional  wag, 


when  he  asked  another,  "  Perhaps  you  don't  like  dogs  ?  " 
"That  would  be  putting  it  rather  strongly,"  was  the 
answer;  "but  if  I  should  visit  a  country  where  there 
were  none,  that  would  n't  prevent  my  remaining  there !  " 
If  that  individual  should  visit  Greenland,  and  have  to 
drag  his  own  sledge,  a  short  experience  at  tobogganing 
over  ice-floes  would  put  him  in  love  with  the  Arctic 
dogs,  and  make  him  a  sincere  believer  in  the  merits  of 
these  valuable  animals  as  servants  of  man ;  and  unless 
the  dogs  were  there,  his  remaining  in  that  country 
would  not  be  voluntary. 

The  dog  is  to  the  Greenlander  what  the  horse  is  to 
us.  And  even  to  the  Polar  explorer  that  surly  little 
draught  animal,  the  Esquimau  dog,  Canis  borealis,  is  the 
one  animal  that  makes  life  and  labor  possible  in  those 
trying  regions.  And  how  little  is  told  us  of  the  merits 
of  this  much-enduring,  much-suffering,  and  hard-worked 
creature!  Though  it  be  but  a  piecemeal  sketch,  yet  I 
will  try  to  tell  something  about— 

68 


SLEDGE-DOG    ANTICS.  69 


Lieut.   Lockwood's  Arctic  Dogs. 

Had  he  been  spared,  there  was  one  young  man  in  the 
Greely  expedition  who  could  have  told  their  praises.  It 
was  he  who  trod  the  farthest  northern  land  pressed  by 
foot  of  man,  Lieutenant  James  Booth  Lockwood,  whose 
career  was  worthy  of  the  poet's  lines : 

"  He  lived  as  mothers  wish  their  sons  to  live ; 
He  died  as  fathers  wish  their  sons  to  die." 

His  kindly  humor  and  clear  insight  were  as  feeling 
and  vision,  and  such  that  he  could  have  given  us  the 
truest  picture  of  this  invaluable  little  beast,  the  Esquimau 
dog,  that  has  ever  been  portrayed. 

In  the  diary  left  by  this  young  hero-martyr  are 
occasional  sketches  of  these  dogs,  —  pitifully  brief,  but 
never  hazy,  always  clean-cut  and  sparkling  gems. 

Let  us  premise  that  in  July,  1881,  the  expedition 
reached  Disco,  in  southern  Greenland,  and  there  with 
other  necessaries  the  steamer  took  on  board  fourteen  Es- 
quimau dogs,  more  being  taken  at  other  places  afterwards. 

"  The  penning  of  the  dogs  at  Disco  was  a  scene  of 
excitement  and  amusement.  Their  snarling  and  biting 
and  fighting  had  no  end  until  one  of  the  number  present 
was  acknowledged  by  all  the  others  for  his  prowess  and 
valor  the  victor.  Then  the  contest  ceased,  but  only  until 
there  was  a  new  arrival,  when  the  battle  was  renewed, 
and  the  parvenu  put  hors  de  combat  or  declared  king. 
In  due  time  the  steamer  left  Disco,  and  arrived  at 
Ritenbank,"  where  it  took  on  other  supplies.  From 
Ritenbank  they  proceeded  to  the  more  immediate  scene 
of  their  labors. 


70  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

The  time  had  now  come  for  Lieutenant  Lockwood  to 
start  upon  one  of  those  tasks  whose  achievements  have 
won  him  imperishable  fame.  Commander  Greely  had 
intrusted  the  Lieutenant  with  two  men,  and  a  sledge 
with  a  dog-team  of  eight  animals.  It  was  an  adventure 
of  peril,  and  their  way  was  over  the  terrible  Arctic  floes. 
The  young  leader  said:  "If  I  know  myself,  I  will  not 
return  unsuccessful."  It  was  April  2d,  1882. 

"We  got  off  at  8  P.  M.,  with  Jewell,  Frederick,  and 
the  dog-sledge  Antoinette."  He  thus  sketches  his  dogs: 
"  The  team  of  eight  consisted  of  *  Ritenbank,  the  king,'  a 
large  white  dog,  at  whose  growl  all  the  rest  trembled; 
'  Major,'  a  friend  of  Ritenbank,  and  a  very  useful,  good- 
natured  old  fellow,  hard-working,  and  quiet,  without  any 
special  characteristics;  'Howler,'  a  large  lean,  mean,  ill- 
natured  brute,  whom  they  took  on  at  Disco,  and  who 
lorded  it  over  the  rest  till  Ritenbank  came  on  board, 
at  the  place  of  the  same  name,  when  Howler  was 
dethroned ;  since  which  he  had  been  morose  and  mis- 
anthropic, and  never  associated  with  the  other  dogs. 
He  set  up  the  most  unearthly  howling  whenever  any 
other  dog  approached  him,  and  especially  if  that  other 
dog  had  designs  on  something  he  was  engaged  in  eating, 
or  trying  to  eat,  —  a  tin  can,  for  instance. 

"At  the  end  of  a  march,  when  the  pemmican  or 
dog-feed  was  cut  up,  and  he,  with  the  rest,  was  awaiting 
his  opportunity  to  make  a  general  rush,  his  howling 
became  almost  unendurable.  But  he  was  especially 
despicable,  because  he  allowed  any  and  every  dog  of 
the  team  to  jump  on  and  bite  him.  His  only  redeeming 
trait  was  his  earnestness  in  pulling ;  for,  when  the  sledge 


SLEDGE-DOG    ANTICS.  71 

stuck  in  deep  snow  or  rubble-ice,  he  was  the  last  of  the 
dogs  to  sit  on  his  haunches  and  look  while  you  got  it 
out. 

""On  several  occasions  when  Ritenbank  was  making 
efforts  to  get  inside  the  tent  and  steal  the  meat,  while 
all  were  asleep,  Howler  had  given  the  alarm  by  his  un- 
earthly howling.  His  place  in  the  team  was  on  the  right 
flank,  and  he  kept  it  all  the  time,  never  dropping  back 
and  coming  up  in  the  wrong  place,  as  did  the  other 
dogs. 

"Next  to  Howler  was  the  'Woolly  dog,'  a  dirty- 
looking  cur,  with  long  white  hair,  which  made  Howler's 
life  a  burden  all  the  time  by  snapping  at  him  as  he 
hauled  by  his  side,"  his  thick  coat  making  the  biting 
harmless. 

"Next  came  the  '  Kooneys,'  signifying,  in  Esqui- 
mau, mother-dogs.  They  were  called  'Black  Kooney' 
and  '  White  Kooney,'  and  were  both  good  workers. 
Then  came  'Ask-him/  a  pup  when  brought  on  board 
at  Greenland,  but  now  of  age,  and  bearing  the  airs  of  a 
veteran.  He  brooked  insult  from  no  dog  but  Ritenbank, 
and  evidently  bided  his  time  to  contest  the  throne  with 
him.  He  had  even  taken  upon  himself  the  kingly 
custom  of  biting  the  adjoining  dog  whenever  he  felt 
the  whip. 

"On  the  left  of  Ask-him  were  two  dogs  already 
named,  '  Major '  and  the  l  Boss.'  On  the  left  flank  was 
'  Gypsy,'  a  little  fat  Kooney  dog  which  pulled  only  under 
the  lash,  and  yet  by  foraging  and  stealing  managed  to 
get  twice  the  rations  of  any  of  the  rest,  and  was  always 
plump  and  fat." 


72  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

We  find  on  a  later  occasion  the  Lieutenant  intrusted 
with  three  sleds  and  dog-teams.  He  does  not  tell  us 
much  about  the  dogs,  though  he  now  has  twenty ;  per- 
haps he  was  too  much  occupied  with  the  perils  of  the 
long  journey  over  the  ice.  He  writes : 

"Frederick  (the  Esquimau)  laid  down  his  whip  for 
an  instant,  and  the  promising  dog  '  Barker '  gobbled  up 
all  except  about  six  inches  of  the  butt-end,  in  much  less 
time  than  it  takes  to  mention  the  fact.  The  praises  of 
Barker  had  been  sung  ever  since  his  birth,  and  this  was 
only  one  of  many  of  the  tricks  by  which  he  proved  his 
proficiency.  Frederick  quickly  made  a  new  lash,  how- 
ever, and  gave  it  to  Barker  on  the  next  march." 

They  saw  two  seals  lying  on  the  ice,  which  Frederick 
tried  hard  to  shoot,  but  in  vain.  Lockwood  was  espe- 
cially anxious  to  get  a  seal,  for  it  looked  as  if  they 
would  have  to  kill  one  dog  to  save  the  rest.  After  much 
trouble,  for  want  of  food,  they  resumed  their  journey. 

These  dogs  of  sheer  necessity  are  cannibals.  The 
Lieutenant  says  at  one  time,  "  I  saw  the  mother  of  a  dead 
pup  keeping  Ritenbank  from  swallowing  it,  while  she 
hesitated  whether  or  not  she  would  do  the  same  thing 
herself." 

"  On  the  same  day  of  the  failure  to  get  one  of  the 
two  seals,  in  order  to  save  the  dogs  from  starvation,  it 
was  reluctantly  decided  to  kill  one  of  them  with  which 
to  feed  the  rest,  the  Esquimau  Frederick,  however, 
opposing.  The  question  now  was,  which  should  be  the 
victim?  Brainard  suggested  the  White  Kooney,  but 
Frederick  named  Button,  a  young  dog.  As  Button  had 
that  morning  eaten  up  his  own  harness,  that  act  decided 


\  \  B  R  *  r: 

O/ 

SLEDGE-DOG    ANTICS.  V  "*  ?3 

his  fate.  He  was  shot  by  Frederick,  and  soon  the  carcass 
was  skinned  and  presented  to  his  brethren.  Old  Howler 
at  once  seized  a  hind-quarter,  but  the  others  did  nothing 
more  than  smell  the  meat.  They  walked  around  it  in 
a  reflective  mood,  debating  whether  to  yield  to  their 
hunger  or  to  their  repugnance  to  eating  their  brother. 
In  the  night  they  had  overcome  their  scruples ;  for  when 
the  party  awoke  next  morning  nothing  remained  of  poor 
Button  but  some  of  the  larger  bones." 

After  making  the  highest  north  ever  reached  Lieu- 
tenant Lockwood  writes: 

"Several  of  the  dogs  becoming  mangy  have  been 
shot.  Poor  old  '  Howler/  who  had  given  up,  and  whom 
we  left  on  the  ice-floe,  hoping  he  would  recover  and 
follow  us,  was  found  dead  near  the  same  place.  Oh  !  the 
hours  of  misery  I  have  spent  in  sleeping-bags,  kept  awake 
by  that  howling  brute,  —  howling,  perhaps,  just  because 
another  dog  looked  at  him!  But,  for  all  his  howlings 
and  stealings,  the  ex-king  was  a  good  worker,  and  did  his 
duty ;  and  that  is  all  that  should  be  required  of  any 
one,  man  or  dog.  May  he  rest  in  peace  in  the  happy 
hunting-grounds  of  the  canine  race!  Frederick,  our 
Esquimau,  I  presume  will  put  on  crape  for  him." 

After  going  the  farthest  north  of  any  discoverers  all 
were  joyful  at  the  prospect  of  their  return  to  the  main 
party.  The  men  were  "in  joyous  spirits;  and  the 
hilarity  was  kept  up  by  the  dogs  Ritenbank  and  Ask- 
him  having  a  terrible  fight,  resulting  in  victory  to  the 
latter.  The  probable  consequence  was  that  Ask-him 
would  now  be  king.  Ritenbank  went  about  with  his 
head  down  and  tail  depressed,  a  dethroned  and  friend- 


74  ANIMAL  HUMOR. 

less  monarch.  The  usurper's  reign,  however,  was  likely 
to  be  a  short  one,  as,  on  the  party's  leaving,  the  dogs 
would  either  be  shot  or  left  to  starve  to  death." 

Like  picking  the  plums  from  the  pudding,  I  have 
taken  these  spicy  morsels  from  Lochvood's  Farthest  North. 
They  are  so  scattered  as  to  be  almost  unnoticeable,  yet 
I  confess  to  being  charmed  by  them. 

We  hear  a  good  deal  about  noble  minds  being 
tested  in  trying  circumstances.  But  what  about  this 
animal,  the  sledge-dog,  in  those  inhospitable  climes? 
With  much  that  is  uncanny,  how  much  is  there  really 
admirable  in  this  Canis  borealis !  What  useful  crea- 
tures !  What  capacity  for  work !  Eight  dogs  dragging 
a  sledge  weighted  with  eleven  hundred  pounds ! 

Says  the  Lieutenant  at  one  time :  It  was  "  unprece- 
dentedly  cold,  even  for  that  latitude.  The  poor  dogs 
suffered ;  yet  many  of  them  preferred  to  remain  curled 
up  on  the  snow-banks  outside  to  occupying  the  tents 
and  holes  prepared  for  them." 


Songs   of  the    Innuits. 

And  this  breed  of  dogs,  with  their  remarkable 
habits,  is  the  outcome  of  a  wonderful  people.  In  their 
igloos,  or  snow-houses,  in  the  long  dreary  winter,  the 
family  may  be  entertaining  themselves  with  song  em- 
bodying poetical  sentiment  of  a  somewhat  high  order, 
and  their  faithful  dogs  may  be  outside  reposing  in  the 
snow.  Says  Dr.  Franz  Boaz,  who  has  a  right  to  speak  of 
Esquimau  poetry :  "  The  mind  of  the  '  savage '  is  sensible 
to  the  beauties  of  poetry  and  music,  and  it  is  only  the 


SLEDGE-DOG    ANTICS.  75 

superficial  observer  to  whom  he  appears  stupid  and 
unfeeling." 

But  it  seems  to  me  that  there  is  profound  philos- 
ophy underlying  our  mosaic  story  of  the  Arctic  dogs. 
These  Esquimaux,  the  masters  of  these  animals,  who 
are  they?  Are  they  the  original  occupants  of  this 
continent?  Some  have  thought  so,  and  the  name  by 
which  they  call  themselves  is  significant — Innuit  — 
MEN — par  eminence.  They  have  large  heads,  strong 
limbs,  and  "small,  soft  hands  and  feet."  How  long 
have  they  lived  in  these  high  latitudes?  Their  utili- 
zation of  the  dog  goes  far  back  of  tradition,  and  we 
may  suppose  that  it  is  the  outcome  of  many  hundred 
years  of  training. 

But  all  this  looks  towards  a  people  with  imagination 
and  humor.  These  Innuit,  or  "Men,"  have  considerable 
skill  in  construction,  and  even  taste  for  decoration. 
Happily  Dr.  Franz  Boaz,  in  Science,  recently  has  given 
us  some  of  the  poetry  of  this  singular  people,  in  which 
the  imagination  is  exquisite  and  the  humorous  conceit 
is  fine.  I  dare  not  do  less  than  give  his  own  words. 
He  says: 

"  No  people  is  more  fond  of  music  than  the  Esqui- 
maux, the  inhabitants  of  the  extreme  north.  Though 
most  explorers  affirm  that  their  music  is  nothing  but 
a  monotonous  humming,  the  tunes  and  texts  (poems) 
collected  by  me  in  Baffin  Land  will  show  that  this  is 
not  true." 

But  our  traveler  assures  us  of  the  complicated 
rhythm,  and  the  necessity  of  keeping  time  in  the 
chorus  of  the  songs  of  the  Indians  of  British  Columbia, 


76  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

and  then  almost  springs  upon  us  a  pleasant  surprise 
by  stating  that  each  Indian  village  has  a  singing-master. 
He  is  literally  the  musical  pedagogue,  and  every  fall, 
in  time  for  the  festivals,  "  he  gathers  the  men  about  him 
every  day,  and  walks  up  and  down  the  street  of  the 
village,  teaching  them  to  sing  the  tunes  which  are  to 
be  used  at  the  winter  dances  and  other  feasts."  As  to 
the  Esquimaux,  the  doctor  adduces  an  exquisite  little 
song  describing  in  anticipation  the  charms  of  summer, 
which  they  sing  in  their  lowly  homes  in  the  long  hard 
winter. 

"  It  was  in  the  midst  of  winter  that  I  heard  this 
song  for  the  first  time.  After  a  long  and  lonesome  jour- 
ney over  the  ragged  highlands  which  form  the  west 
coast  of  Davis  Strait,  almost  exhausted  by  want  of  food, 
and  the  exertion  of  driving  and  hauling  the  heavy  sledge 
over  rocks  and  steep  snow-banks,  we  had  arrived  on  the 
coast  of  Davis  Strait,  and  struck  a  track  that  led  to  the 
Esquimau  village.  No  white  man  had  ever  visited  this 
part  of  the  coast,  and,  the  men  being  out  hunting,  the 
women  and  children,  who  had  frequently  heard  of  the 
Kadlunait  ('the  whites'),  rushed  out  of  the  huts  when 
they  saw  the  sledge  coming  with  an  unknown  dog-team 
and  an  unknown  driver.  When  they  discovered  him  to 
be  a  white  man,  their  excitement  reached  the  highest 
pitch,  and  they  burst  out  in  a  wild  dance  and  chorus, 
singing  the  joyful  Song  of  Summer.  This  song  was  the 
most  popular  one  at  the  time.  It  was  composed  by  an 
Esquimau  living  farther  north,  'Snowwind'  (Kenning- 
nang)  by  name,  and  had  spread  rapidly  over  all  the 
settlements. 


SLEDGE-DOG    ANTICS.  77 


THE     BEAUTIES    OF     SUMMER. 

"Aya! 

Ayjiyu,  it   is   beautiful,  beautiful  it  is  out-doors  when  the  sum- 
mer comes  at  last. 
Ayaya,  ayaya,  aya  ! 

"  Ayaya,  it  is  beautiful,  beautiful  it  is  out-doors  when  the  rein- 
deer begin  to  come, 
Ayaya,  ayaya,  aya! 

"  Ayaya,  when  the  roaring  river  rushes  from  the  hills  in  summer. 
Ayaya,  ayaya,  aya! 

"  Ayaya,  there  is  no  reason  for  me   to  be  mournful  when   the 

gull  ceases  crying. 
Ayaya,  ayaya,  aya! 

"  Ayaya,  plenty  of  meat  I  shall  have  and  plenty  of  good  fish. 
Ayaya,  ayaya,  aya ! 

u  Ayaya,  it  is  beautiful,  beautiful  it  is  out-doors  when  the  sum- 
mer comes  at  last. 
Ayaya,  ayaya,  aya!" 

So  this  Snowwind  was  the  native  bard,  the  popular 
sentimental  poet.  Dr.  Boaz  says:  "He  belonged  to  a 
family  of  poets.  His  nephew,  Utityak,  had  composed 
a  well-known  satirical  song.  One  fall,  when  hunting 
on  the  ice,  a  strong  gale  set  in,  and  the  ice  broke  up, 
separating  the  unfortunate  youth  from  the  land  and 
from  his  companions.  Several  days  he  drifted  on  the 
floe  at  the  mercy  of  the  winds.  Heavy  snowfalls 
covered  the  drifting  ice.  The  swell  broke  up  the  floe, 
and  death  stared  at  him  continually.  Yet  he  did  not 


78  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

despair,  nor  even   lose  his  temper,  but,  in  mockery  of 
his  own  misfortune,  he  composed  the  following  song,— 
a   flash   of    lightsome    merriment    out   of   what   to   an- 
other   unfortunate    would   be   appalling    gloom.      Now 
for  the  ditty: 

AFLOAT    UPON    THE    ICE. 
A   -   ya,  Well    this    is    nice     in  -  deed,  this      is      nice  !       Well 


=^:dE^ 


this     is    nice   in  -  deed,       yes,    this    is   nice    in -deed,  this    is     nice! 


"Aya! 

It 's  glorious  on  the  ice ! 
Here  it's  nice 
Behold  my  lonesome  path, 
All  snow  and  slush  and  ice! 
This  is  nice 

"Aya! 

It's  glorious  on  the  ice! 
Here  it's  nice! 
Behold  my  native  land! 
Its  snow  and  slush  and  ice! 
This  is  nice! 

"Aya! 

Awaking  from  my  slumbers  in  the  dawn, 
Monotonous  fields  of  ice, 
And  gloomy  lanes  of  water 
I  behold. 


SLEDGE-DOG    ANTICS.  79 

"Aya! 

O  when  I  reach  the  land 
It  will  be  nice, 
When  will  this  roaming  end? 
When  will  I  be  at  home? 
Then  it 's  nice !  " 

I  think  the  reader  should  try  to  digest  the  dry 
humor  in  this  quaint  little  song.  What  a  rush,  and 
what  merriment  in  its  day,  Saxe's  ballad  had,  with  its 
refrain : 

"Bless  me!  this  is  pleasant, 
Riding  on  the  rail!" 

And  think  of  Utityak  alone  and  adrift  for  days  on 
the  treacherous  ice,  driven  by  the  biting,  pitiless  winds, 
amid  heavy  snowfalls,  and  swelling,  creaking  ice-floes, 
and  face  to  face  with  Death ;  yet  keeping  his  brave 
soul  up,  in  cool,  satiric,  but  hopeful  song!  Let  us  try 
to  paraphrase  this  simple  song,  and  sing  it  for  the  sake 
of  feeling  its  tender  pathos  and  homely  fun: 

Well,  is  n't  here  a  go  ? 
Alone  upon  the  floe! 
Oh,  bless  me  this  is  nice, 
Afloat  upon  the  ice! 
Ah!  when  I  cease  to  roam, 
And  find  myself  at  home, 
Tfiat  will  indeed  be  nice! 

"Besides  these  modern  songs,  the  Esquimaux  have 
many  ancient  ones,  some  of  which  are  incantations, 
while  others  form  part  of  the  old  traditions,  or 
legendary  history." 

So  these  Esquimaux  can  sing  the  beauties  of  nature ; 


80  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

and  they  have  songs  for  their  grief  and  ballads  for 
their  fun;  and  so  it  turns  that  Ritenbank  the  dog-king, 
and  Howler  deposed  from  the  domination  of  his  canine 
constituency,  and  all  the  rest,  came  honestly  by  their 
cunnings  and  their  ogreish  humor ;  for  was  it  not  all 
in  their  masters? 

The  Arab  will  talk  to  his  camel  as  one  communing 
with  a  fast  friend,  jocosely  or  seriously  as  the  humor 
takes  him.  And  man  in  the  lower  stages  of  civilization 
will  catch,  and  unconsciously  mimic,  the  tricks  of  his 
domestic  animals.  When  Mr.  Very,  an  engineer,  with 
his  assistant,  was  engaged  in  surveying  Hudson's  Bay, 
there  seemed  a  mutual  wonder  between  them  and  their 
Indian  voyageurs.  The  white  men's  spectacles  were  an 
enigma  to  the  Indians,  who  had  nevei\  seen  "  men  wear- 
ing windows  before  their  eyes "  ;  neither  had  the  whites 
ever  seen  Indians  playing  dog  in  order  to  make  hard 
work  easy.  It  was  profitable  humor.  The  Indians  in 
the  canoe  whistled  to  those  on  shore  carrying  packs,  like 
hunters  calling  the  hounds;  to  which  the  shore  men 
replied,  yelping  in  perfect  imitation  of  lost  dogs,  and 
occasionally  whining  as  if  in  hopeless  distress.  At 
length,  the  rapids  past,  the  canoe  took  the  porters  aboard ; 
when  whelp  and  whine  were  exchanged  for  the  loud, 
glad  bark  of  dogs  that  have  found  their  master. 

But  what  about  cannibalism,  if  it  may  be  so  termed ; 
since  the  eating  of  one's  own  kind  is  so  repugnant  even 
to  a  dog?  Probably  no  dog  known  is  more  utilized 
for  labor,  and  less  coddled  with  care,  than  the  Esqiumau 
dog.  But  such  is  its  suffering  upon  occasion  from  want 
of  food,  that  its  wits  in  this  direction  are  very  acute,  — 


SLEDGE-DOG    ANTICS.  81 

and  it  has  no  scruples  either  as  to  what  it  is  or  how 
it  is  obtained.  Of  painful  necessity,  the  poor  brute  is 
a  sharper,  a  chevalier  of  industry,  keen  and  devoid  of 
principle. 

It  should  be  noted  that  these  Innuit  are  intensely 
carnivorous  men.  It  is  for  them  a  stern  necessity. 
They  must  kill  or  starve ;  agriculture  with  them  is  un- 
known and  impossible;  and  they  look  with  a  squint  of 
pity  and  contempt  upon  the  white  man's  bread  and  vege- 
tables ;  and  should  they  eat  with  him,  such  food  would 
be  considered  unpalatable. 

It  may  even  be  that  dogs  are  affected  by  example. 
The  Esquimaux  are  believed  by  some  to  be  of  the  same 
race  as  the  Red  men.  Dr.  Franz  Boaz  speaks  of  some  of 
these  northern  tribes  who  practice  cannibalism  in  con- 
nection with  their  winter  dances,  with  whom  it  is  a  part 
of  their  religion  ;  and  they  even  have  a  tradition  that  an 
ancestor  descended  from  heaven  and  taught  them  these 
cannibal  ceremonies.  Another  of  these  northern  people 
compromise  the  matter.  They  take  a  human  skeleton, 
and  sew  on  it  a  wrapping  of  dried  halibut,  upon  which 
they  feast ;  and  so  make  believe  to  devour  one  of  their 
own  kind.  In  this  way  they  contrive  to  compound  the 
matter  so  as  to  quiet  all  qualms  of  the  dietetic  or  pietistic 
conscience. 

It  was  noted  that  only  the  deposed  dog-king  fell  to 
on  his  slain  brother  with  no  compunction  of  the  canine 
conscience.  All  the  others  smelled  around  for  some  time, 
having  to  coax  appetite  or  allay  conscience  before 
banqueting  on  the  mortal  remains  of  their  late  com- 
panion. Old  Howler  saw  his  vantage,  and  seized  on 


82  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

and  tucked  in  a  shoulder  of  mutton,  to  wit,  a  fore- 
quarter  of  his  comrade,  poor  Button,  before  the  others 
could  make  up  their  minds  to  it! 

And  it  seems  that  even  in  the  "Beyond"  this  Arctic 
dog  is  expected  to  render  service ;  for  I  find  it  written  : 
"  The  Greenlanders  bury  with  a  child  a  dog  to  guide  it 
in  the  other  world,  saying,  '  A  dog  can  find  his  way  any- 
where.' "  And  at  some  points  of  their  religious  faith  the 
Esquimau  and  the  Red  man  view  the  future  similarly. 
If  the  poet  is  correct,  the  Indian  does  not  give  up 
his  humble  companion  at  death : 

"But  thinks,  admitted  to  that  equal  sky, 
His  faithful  dog  shall  bear  him  company." 

Nor  need  one  wonder  at  this,  if  but  the  value  the 
animal  is  to  man  be  duly  considered.  The  dog  in  his 
domestication  —  for  he  is  but  a  reformed  or  civilized 
wolf — is  as  ancient  as  human  history.  He  figured  even 
religiously  in  Egypt  thousands  of  years  ago;  and  the 
genus  Canis,  ruling  out  the  untamed  wolves,  had  in 
mighty  Rome  a  quasi  scientific  classification,  for  it  was 
divided  into  three  distinct  groups,  embracing  quite  a 
number  of  species.  These  divisions  were  the  Pugnaces, 
SagaceSj  and  Celeres,  namely,  the  fighting  dogs,  the  know- 
ing dogs,  and  the  hunting  dogs.  The  first  were  some- 
times used  in  the  great  arena  fighting  the  lion,  and 
other  beasts  of  prey;  the  second  were  the  wise  or 
house-dogs,  the  pets;  and  the  third  were  the  dogs  of 
the  chase. 

These  breeds  were  from  different  regions,  none  of 
them  having  originated  in  Rome.  The  fighting  dogs 


SLEDGE-DOG    ANTICS.  83 

were  from  Asia,  which  formerly  had  an  eminently  mar- 
tial people.  The  sagacious  and  beautiful  house-dogs  were 
from  Greece,  the  home  of  art  and  wisdom;  and  the  swift- 
footed  dogs  were  from  Northern  Europe,  the  people  whose 
subsistence  depended  so  much  on  hunting. 

As  the  sagacious,  or  knowing  dogs,  were  from  a 
region  of  luxury  in  art,  they  doubtless  were  family 
pets,  and  it  would  be  interesting  to  know  what  tricks 
they  could  perform,  in  a  word,  to  what  extent  their 
education  was  carried,  though  it  might  be  that  beauty 
was  the  chief  point. 

The  wealthy  of  those  times  had  their  valuable  and 
noted  dogs.  Alexander  possessed  a  Pugnacis,  probably 
a  bull-dog,  which  could  tackle  a  lion.  And  a  certain 
Athenian,  a  fast  young  man,  owned  a  fine  Sagacis,  the 
admiration  of  the  city.  But  the  author  for  the  thou- 
sandth time  must  be  allowed  to  tell  his  own  story: 

The  Dog  of  Alcibiades. 

In  Plutarch's  Life  of  Alcibiades  the  following  passage 
occurs : 

"  Alcibiades  had  a  dog  of  uncommon  size  and  beauty, 
which  cost  him  seventy  minse,  and  yet  his  tail,  which 
was  his  principal  ornament,  he  caused  to  be  cut  off. 
Some  of  his  acquaintance  found  great  fault  with  his 
acting  so  strangely,  and  told  him  that  all  Athens  rang 
with  the  story  of  his  foolish  treatment  of  the  dog.  At 
which  he  laughed,  and  said,  *  This  is  the  very  thing  I 
wanted ;  for  I  would  have  the  Athenians  talk  of  this,  lest 
they  should  find  something  worse  to  say  of  me/" 


84  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

Now  in  all  these  "  Parallel  Lives  of  the  Greeks  and 
Romans,"  for  a  bit  of  insane  foolery  this  act  of  that 
wealthy  rake  stands  unparalleled.  But  this  young  spend- 
thrift was  capable  of  following  up  a  wine  debauch  with 
a  night  raid  in  which  he  mutilated  the  noses  of  the 
Hermes,  or  consecrated  busts  that  piety  had  set  up  in  the 
vestibules  of  the  Athenian  aristocracy.  As  the  young 
man  was  a  disciple  of  Socrates,  better  conduct  might  have 
been  looked  for.  However,  though  he  sadly  marred  the 
beauty  of  his  $700  pet,  yet,  without  his  dreaming  of  it, 
the  fine  animal  became  immortalized  in  art,  for  he  was 
put  in  marble  by  the  great  Athenian  sculptor  Myron, 
and  this  statuary,  more  than  two  thousand  years  old, 
shows  an  animal  resembling  a  Newfoundland  dog. 

Is  it  not  a  highly  interesting  fact  that  the  species 
or  breeds  of  dogs  utilized  by  man,  which  probably  em- 
brace the  extremes  of  intelligence,  are  themselves  very 
ancient?  I  should  think  that  the  Collie  or  shepherd- 
dog  is  at  the  top  in  average  intellect,  or  canine  knowing- 
ness;  while  the  draught-dog  of  the  Esquimau  is  at  the 
bottom,  since  he  is  hardly  more  than  a  subjugated  wolf. 

In  the  Scriptures  the  dog  is  set  down  as  an  unclean 
beast.  Still,  we  have  in  that  grand  and  severe  narrative 
of  Job  a  remarkable  passage :  "  But  now  they  that  are 
younger  than  I  have  me  in  derision,  whose  fathers  I 
would  have  disdained  to  have  set  with  the  dogs  of  my 
flock."  This  looked  as  though  the  better  the  old  pa- 
triarch knew  men  the  more  he  liked  dogs.  Also  it  seems 
that  shepherd-dogs  existed  then.  Now  it  should  be 
borne  in  mind  that  the  dog  must  have  reached  an 
immense  remove  from  his  wolfish  ancestors  before  he 


SLEDGE-DOG    ANTICS.  85 

can  be  made  to   keep   his  teeth   off  a  sheep,  let  alone 
become  its  protector. 

The  exhumed  relics  of  the  prehistoric  man  of  the 
neolithic  or  latter  stone-age  reveal  the  fact  that  this  bar- 
baric being  had  his  dog.  It  is  certain,  too,  that  this  dog 
was  pretty  much  like  the  draught  animal  of  the  Esqui- 
maux,—  a  half-tamed  wolf.  These  dogs  may  be  easily 
mistaken  for  the  Arctic  wolf,  from  which  they  came. 
They  have  not  yet  even  the  faculty  of  barking,  for  the 
wolves  do  not  bark,  but  the  fully  domesticated  dog 
does.  The  wolf  is  emphatically  a  howling  brute,  hence 
the  significance  of  that  fine  line  by  Campbell : 

"The  wolfs  long  howl  on  Ounalaska's  shore." 

And  for  this  wolfish  ability  we  have  but  to  recall  the 
accomplishments  of  the  deposed  dog-king  Howler. 

But  these  Arctic  sledge-dogs  are  wolfish  in  temper, 
and  daringr  They  are  not  housed  and  cared  for  as 
are  dogs  with  us;  and  the  poor  beasts  live  in  chronic 
hunger!  and,  wolf-like,  but  for  the  lash  and  the  club, 
would  combine  and  kill  and  eat  a  human  being,  as  the 
Esquimau  in  fact  does  eat  them  upon  occasion,  —  a 
puppy  being  a  luxury  indeed. 

The  better  trained  of  these  dogs  will  serve  their 
owners  in  the  hunt.  A  pair  can  so  worry  a  polar-bear 
as  to  detain  the  brute  till  the  hunter  comes  up  with  his 
spear.  The  bravest  dog  is  often  chosen  as  the  leader 
in  the  team,  he  keeping  in  advance  and  obeying  the 
word  of  the  driver,  while  the  dogs  in  harness  simply 
obey  the  lash. 

The  semi-domestication,  or,  more  correctly,  the  life  of 


86  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

subjugation,  while  it  has  not  advanced  them  to  the  status 
of  the  civilized  canine,  has  given  these  animals,  in  com- 
mon with  dogs  generally,  the  habit  of  bearing  the  tail 
up-curled.  The  wolf,  on  the  contrary,  always  carries 
his  tail  pendent,  —  which  the  dog  only  does  under  hu- 
miliating or  some  other  trying  circumstances.  As  has 
been  mentioned  the  Esquimau  dog  cannot  bark.  He 
is  subject  to  variation  in  color;  some  are  of  a  dingy 
white,  or  a  tinge  of  yellow,  others  are  blackish,  and  all 
have  hair  from  three  to  four  inches  in  length,  with  a 
thick  undercoat  of  warm  wool.  The  ear  is  short,  erect, 
and  somewhat  pointed;  and,  excepting  that  the  tail 
curls  upward,  the  dog  is  in  form  and  size  the  counter- 
part of  the  Arctic  wolf. 

Were  these  boreal  people  deprived  of  their  dogs,  their 
own  extermination  would  soon  follow.  And  yet  these 
useful  creatures  receive  little  else  than  neglect  and 
abuse  from  those  they  serve  so  well. 


CHAPTER    VII. 


HUMOR.— A  MEDLEY. 

(OMETHING  of  the  canine  cunnings  just  consid- 
ered were  to  be  expected,  because  of  the  agility 
and  intelligence  of  the  animals  discussed.  But 
who  looks  for  levity,  either  of  mind  or  motion,  in 
Leviathan  ?  Though  pastoral  and  very  pretty,  that  was 
a  bold  hyperbole  of  the  Oriental  poet,  —  "  The  little  hills 
skip  like  lambs."  It  would  never  have  done  to  set  the 
mountains  to  dance  a  minuet;  that  would  be  playing 
mountebank  with  the  credulity  of  emotion.  And  yet 
the  hugest  beasts  of  the  sea  and  the  land  will  upon 
occasion  go  on  a  frolic.  In  a  word,  they  have  their 
times  for  complete  abandon,  when  it  is  becoming  even 
to  Behemoth  to  enjoy  himself. 

It  must  be  grotesquely  funny  to  see  that  marine 
monster,  the  whale,  in  sheer  merriment  romping  in  the 
sea.  Almost  outre  must  be  the  sight  of  one  of  those 
immense  blowers,  a  bull-whale,  having  a  "  blow-out,"  or 
spree,  or  frolic,  —  while  the  mother  whale  actually  gam- 
bols with  her  calf. 

Of  all  aquatic  animals  the  most  lubberly  and  mis- 
shapen is  the  Manatee.  This  uncouth-looking  mammal 
is  sometimes  captured  in  the  rivers  of  Florida.  They 

87 


88  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

abound  in  the  great  Amazon  and  the  Orinoco,  where 
they  are  used  by  the  people  as  food,  and  known  in  Portu- 
guese as  peixe  boy,  fish-ox,  and  in  Spanish  as  Vaca  marina, 
sea-cow.  This  ill-shaped  beast  is  some  nine  feet  in  length. 
It  has  simply  a  flat  tail  set  horizontally,  and  two  paddles 
near  the  head.  The  hinder  limbs  do  not  appear.  But 
though  so  ungainly,  the  sea-cows  are  fond  of  each  other's 
society,  and  indulge  in  play  together,  having  a  good 
time  in  romping  and  leaping  into  the  air. 

When  I  was  a  boy  the  upper  part  of  the  city  of  New 
York  was  mainly  in  open  stony  lots.  On  the  North 
River,  as  we  called  the  Hudson,  was  a  rock  some  twelve 
feet  high  overhanging  the  water  as  I  remember.  We 
called  it  High  Rock.  It  disappeared  long  ago.  With  us 
boys,  when  off  for  a  swim,  that  was  our  favorite  place. 
All  prepared,  and  standing  in  line,  one  behind  the 
other,  at  the  word,  "Keep  the  pot  a-boiling!"  all 
took  up  the  cry,  the  first  boy  plunging  in,  then  the 
second,  and  the  third,  and  so  on  —  splash!  splash! 
splash !  Returning  on  shore,  the  same  would  be  repeated, 
until  we  were  fairly  tired  out.  But  the  fun  was  fine! 

Now  I  cannot  for  a  moment  doubt  that  these  Manitees 
experience  a  similar  enjoyment  when  on  a  frolic.  Rising 
in  the  air  and  falling  into  the  water  with  a  great  splash, 
and  repeating  this  all  along  the  line,  the  exhilaration 
in  the  change  of  elements,  the  titanic  music  of  such 
huge  splashings,  the  caldron  ebullitions  of  the  water,— 
in  a  word,  this  "  keeping  the  pot  a-boiling,"  to  these 
Manitees  is  the  immensest  kind  of  fun :  and,  depend 
upon  it  generally,  the  enjoyment  of  these  Leviathans 
when  on  a  lark  is  intense. 


A    MEDLEY.  89 

I  once  saw  a  bit  of  genuine  glee  on  the  part  of  three 
elephants,  in  Regent's  Park  Gardens,  that  is,  the  "  Zoo  "  in 
London.  They  were  on  a  "  regular  spree,"  but  in  an 
original  way  of  their  own.  At  the  orders  of  their  keepers, 
they  were  taking  their  daily  ablutions.  The  three 
entered  the  bath,  a  deep  tank,  in  a  very  orderly  manner, 
and  what  there  was  in  their  conduct  to  the  contrary 
occurred  chiefly  out  of  sight,  —  for  they  disappeared  en- 
tirely in  the  water.  Not  a  particle  of  those  huge  beasts 
could  be  seen.  The  truth  told,  they  were  "  cutting  up " 
below.  When  they  rose  to  the  surface,  their  trunks 
expelling  the  air  so  long  in  their  lungs  with  a  screeching 
sound,  like  so  many  steam-whistles,  the  three  flexible 
probosces  were  entwined  in  a  great  black  knot,  unpleas- 
antly suggestive  of  three  dark  hissing  pythons  in 
amicable  union.  At  first  blush  the  sight,  though  ludi- 
crous, was  a  little  hideous.  But  in  an  instant  came  a 
better  conception;  it  was  grotesquely  comical,  as  if  so 
many  ogres,  boon-companion-like,  had  embraced,  and 
were  kissing  in  a  sort  of  seething  affection  or  slobbering 
loving-kindness.  The  sight,  for  a  cold-water  performance, 
was  wonderfully  bacchanalian. 

Though  as  docile  as  a  dog  when  young,  the  elephant 
becomes  morose  with  age.  His  unamiable  spurts  of 
temper  make  him  dangerous,  and  even  ungovernable 
for  the  time,  and  there  is  no  way  of  being  forearmed, 
as  these  fits  of  viciousness  are  sudden,  though  generally 
transient.  It  was  because  "good  old  Jumbo,"  the  chil- 
dren's riding  elephant  in  the  London  "  Zoo,"  was  Hearing 
mature  age,  that  the  American  showman  succeeded  in 
buying  him.  In  the  wild  state  a  male  elephant  in  a 


90  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

herd  of  some  sixteen  or  more  will  be  recognized  as  the 
patriarch.  But  grief  awaits  him  if,  when  full  of  years, 
he  carry  matters  too  high-handed.  With  no  regard  for 
age,  he  will  receive  leave  to  pack  his  trunk,  and  go  into 
retirement  in  the  jungles  for  the  rest  of  his  days.  Pie 
will  get  hounded  out  of  the  herd  with  the  brand  of  a 
"must"  or  "rogue"  elephant. 

That  pleasant  racconteur,  Oliphant,  gives  a  graphic 
sketch  of  a  Nepaulese  hunt  with  elephants.  Being  a 
hunter  of  some  renown,  but  never  having  tried  sport  of 
this  kind,  it  was  his  ambition  to  share  in  an  elephant- 
hunt  in  which  tame  animals  were  to  be  used  in  capturing 
the  wild  ones.  So  he  asked  this  privilege  of  the  king. 
The  monarch  gazed  at  him  with  astonishment.  It  would 
be  as  much  as  the  life  of  a  novice  was  worth  to  risk 
so  rash  a  venture.  But  our  hunter  pressed  his  plea.  So 
a  test  must  first  be  made  of  his  mettle. 

He  was  required  to  mount  an  old  elephant  for  a  trial. 
A  simple  loop  was  made  in  a  rope,  by  which  the  adven- 
turous man  might  hold  on  to  the  bare  back  of  the  beast. 
And  though  with  all  apparent  gravity  and  sedateness,  yet 
in  concealed  merriment,  the  king  and  his  court  assembled 
to  witness  the  trial,  —  or  rather,  to  see  the  fun.  And 
who  can  doubt  that  the  sagacious  brute  understood  well 
his  part  of  the  game?  Mr.  Oliphant  was  not  the  first 
presumptuous  neophyte  that  the  knowing  beast  had  put 
through  his  paces. 

Off  went  the  twain!  The  elephant  did  his  best  at 
speed,  and  jolted  his  rider  in  a  ludicrous  and  perilous 
manner.  But  he  held  on  to  the  loop  with  a  grip  for  life 
or  death.  Then  came  the  wild  brushing  under  the 


A    MEDLEY. 

boughs  of  trees,  as  cattle  do  to  rid  themselves  of  the 
tormenting  flies.  However,  this  rehearsal  was  brought 
to  a  close,  and  pronounced  satisfactory.  He  was  allowed, 
after  this  experience,  to  join  in  an  exciting  hunt,  of  which 
he  gives  this  graphic  description : 

"But  this  was  nothing  to  the  difficulty  of  arriving 
sound  in  wind  and  limb  at  the  end  of  the  chase  on  the 
following  day,  when  the  elephant  I  bestrode,  or  rather  on 
which  I  squatted,  monkey-fashion,  formed  one  of  a  band 
of  one  hundred  and  fifty  tame  elephants,  tearing  at  a 
clumsy  run  through  the  jungle  after  the  wild  herd, 
which  it  finally  overtook,  and  with  which  it  engaged  in 
a  pitched  battle. 

"  I  shall  never  forget  the  uproar  and  excitement  of  that 
singular  conflict:  the  trumpeting  of  the  elephants,  the 
screams  of  the  mahouts,  or  riders,  the  firing  by  the 
soldiers  of  blank-cartridges  (to  help  on  the  noise  and 
excitement),  the  crashing  of  the  branches,  as  the  huge 
monsters,  with  their  trunks  curled  up,  butted  into  one 
another  like  rams,  and  their  riders  deftly  threw  lassoes 
of  rope  over  their  unwieldy  heads,  formed  a  combina- 
tion of  sounds  and  sights  calculated  to  leave  a  lasting 
impression. 

"  It  is  so  difficult  to  take  prisoners  under  these  condi- 
tions that  we  thought  we  did  well  in  capturing  four  out 
of  a  herd  of  twelve.  The  mahout  of  the  elephant  I  was 
on  had  particularly  distinguished  himself  in  one  en- 
counter, and  presented  me  with  the  splintered  tusk  of 
an  elephant,  that  had  been  broken  off  in  a  charge  upon 
us,  as  a  trophy. 

"  I  came  home  utterly  exhausted  by  the  violent  exertion 


92  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

which  had  been  made  necessary  to  escape  being  mashed 
to  pieces  by  overhanging  branches,  or  crushed  by  the 
mob  of  jostling  elephants,  which  must  have  inevitably 
been  my  fate  had  I  lost  my  grip  of  the  loop  of  rope,  which 
was  all  there  was  to  hold  on  by." 


A  Story  of  Seal  Fish-Thieves. 

On  the  twenty-ninth  day  of  February,  1876,  I  went 
to  see  a  seal  on  exhibition  in  New  Brunswick,  New 
Jersey.  It  had  just  been  captured  in  the  Raritan.  River, 
but  a  little  below  the  city.  The  animal  had  fallen  victim 
to  a  habit  well  understood  by  fishermen  in  other  parts 
of  the  world,  —  that  of  visiting  a  seine  for  the  purpose  of 
stealing  fish.  The  difference  was  that  this  was  a  young 
seal,  —  it  weighed  but  one  hundred  pounds, — and  was 
not  up  to  the  tricks  of  the  old  ones,  who  knew  the  ins 
and  the  outs,  and  could  elude  the  fishermen. 

This  baby  seal  was  rather  pretty.  Its  sides  were 
mottled  with  quasi-leopard  spots  on  a  brown  ground. 
The  species  was  Phoca  vitulina,  the  calf-seal,  so  called 
because  of  a  calf-like  cry  which  the  species  can  make. 
There  was  nothing  calvish  in  the  conduct  of  the  captive, 
however.  Its  captors  were  attentive  to  its  wants,  and 
really  very  kind  to  it.  One  of  them  undertook  to  pat  it 
on  the  head,  and  got  an  ugly  bite  for  his  goodness. 

And  what  a  head  this  little  fellow  had!  so  like  that 
of  a  highly  intelligent  dog:  well  might  Cuvier  call  the 
group  Callocephalus,  the  beautiful-headed  beasts,  so  pretty 
are  they,  and  so  knowing,  with  their  large  black,  lustrous 


A    MEDLEY.  93 

eyes.  Now,  among  the  quadrupedal  mammals,  the  seals 
almost  seem  to  lead  off  the  Educabilia,  or  intelligent 
animals,  in  cranial  excellence,  owing  to  their  high,  thin- 
boned  skulls,  and  their  large  and  finely  convoluted  brains. 
In  this  respect  these  aquatic  carnivores  even  excel  the 
lion  and  the  tiger,  and  in  general  the  carnivores  of  the 
land. 

Story  of  an  Educated  Seal. 

It  must,  then,  be  that  the  seal  is  not  without  a  faculty 
for  fun.  How  great  its  capacity  for  instruction  is  we  all 
know.  I  was  greatly  interested  observing  its  skill  in  dis- 
posing of  an  unsizable  fish.  So  long  as  its  food  was  pro- 
vided, and  abundant,  it  had  its  tid-bits  in  the  large  fishes, 
and  was  sure  to  reject  the  head.  Seals  bear  confinement 
pretty  well,  and  are  quite  playful.  A  danger  comes  of 
their  voracity,  as  they  will  devour  almost  anything 
given  them  by  the  children.  A  pint  of  slate-pencils, 
marbles,  and  buttons  was  taken  from  the  stomach  of  a 
seal  which  died  in  Central  Park !  They  will  romp  and 
tumble  in  the  water,  and  have  mimic  contests  like  the 
dogs. 

I  once  saw  a  seal  which  had  dined  to  its  satisfaction. 
It  was  "stuffed,"  and  had  one  fish  left,  a  good-sized 
menhaden.  Feeling  comfortable  after  a  generous  meal, 
it  was  in  a  happy  frame  of  mind,  and  actually  played 
with  that  solitary  fish,  much  as  a  cat  does  with  a 
mouse.  It  would  seize  the  lifeless  thing  with  a  snap  of 
the  mouth  as  catching  it ;  and  by  means  of  its  singularly 
springy  neck,  with  a  jerk  like  a  toss-up  would  send  it  six 


94  ANIMAL  HUMOR. 

or  seven  feet  in  the  air,  uttering  a  bark  or  yelp  of  delight 
not  unlike  that  of  a  puppy,  every  time  the  prey  fell 
splashing  into  the  water. 

Thus  in  bubbling  glee  this  sea-dog  kept  tossing  the  fish 
into  the  air.  Each  toss  was  followed  by  certain  divings, 
and  splashings,  and  bodily  contortions  of  the  seal,  with 
shakings  of  the  dead  fish  as  if  it  were  alive.  It  was  a 
mimicry  of  hunting  of  prey, — that  play  of  "  make-believe  " 
in  which  the  higher  animals  indulge.  Every  movement 
was  indicative  of  keen  enjoyment.  The  sport  was  kept 
up  about  ten  minutes,  or  until  the  playful  thing  was 
tired. 

I  should  have  said  before,  that  animals  which  suckle 
their  young  are  known  as  mammals;  hence  seals, 
whales,  dolphins,  porpoises,  and  the  manatees,  with  all 
their  kind,  are  mammals;  they  all  suckle  their  calves, 
like  our  Cushie  in  the  meadow ;  but  this  nourishing  their 
young  with  milk  is  a  method  of  which  reptiles  and  birds 
are  incapable. 

Porpoise  Intelligence. 

Suppose  we  take  an  ordinary  hazel-nut,  and  crack  the 
shell  carefully.  Taking  out  the  nut  or  kernel,  we  find  it 
has  a  smooth,  unmarked  exterior.  Let  us  now  break 
open  a  walnut,  or  hickory-nut.  How  very  different  is 
this  kernel !  The  surface  is  deeply  marked  or  indented. 
It  is  not  correct  to  speak  of  these  marks  as  grooves,  or 
wrinkles,  or  even  corrugations.  They  look  like  fiutings, 
pleats,  and  folds.  Suppose  I  call  them  convolutions. 
Now  if  I  could  remove  the  thin  membrane  which  covers 


A    MEDLEY.  95 

the  kernel  of  the  common  hazel-nut,  and  spread  it  out 
flat,  and  then  in  like  manner  take  off  the  skin  of  the 
walnut  or  the  hickory-nut  and  spread  it  out  flat  also, 
how  very  much  greater  surface  we  should  get  from  the 
convoluted  membrane  than  from  the  smooth  one. 

Now  such  a  resemblance  obtains  in  the  brains  of 
reptiles  and  birds  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  mammals  on 
the  other.  The  reptiles  and  the  birds  have  smooth 
brains  like  the  kernel  of  the  hazel-nut;  but  the  mam- 
mals, especially  the  higher  ones,  have  their  brains  fluted 
or  convoluted  at  the  surface ;  hence  we  speak  of  them  as 
convoluted  brains ;  that  is,  brains  not  smooth,  but  in  folds 
at  the  surface. 

Physiologists  have  shown  that  it  is  not  merely  the  size 
of  the  brain  that  is  concerned  with  intellectual  manifesta- 
tions, but  above  all,  the  amount  of  the  foldings,  or  convo- 
lutions, since  that  determines  the  amount  of  brain  surface. 
And  all  this  is  because  the  brain  substance  is  chiefly  of 
two  kinds,  the  white  substance  and  the  gray  substance ; 
and  the  general  intelligence  of  an  animal  is  in  proportion 
to  the  amount  of  gray  substance  in  its  brain.  Now  as 
this  gray  matter  is  only  a  thin  layer  just  underlying  the 
outer  membrane,  it  is  evident  that  the  greater  the  surface 
the  more  there  is  of  this  substance ;  and,  as  I  have  shown, 
the  convoluted  brain  affords  the  largest  surface. 

I  have  mentioned  the  name  given  by  Cuvier  to  the 
seals,  —  the  beautiful-headed  animals,  with  their  thin 
skulls  and  finely  convoluted  brains.  But  I  like  the  old 
aphorism, "  Handsome  is  that  handsome  does " ;  and  per- 
haps, barring  the  personal  beauty,  I  must  claim  what  has 
just  been  said  for  the  poor  porpoise,  —  that  "  tub-at-sea," 


96  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

"  land-lubber  afloat,"  as  some  "  old  salt "  would  say.  A 
"  tub-at-sea  " !  What  a  libel !  The  porpoise  is  the  most 
easy  and  graceful  in  movement  of  all  the  marine  mam- 
mals,—  also  the  most  playful;  so  much  so  that  they 
deserve  to  be  called  Neptune's  kittens. 

In  fact,  anticipating  the  ship-builder,  our  "gallant  tar" 
got  from  the  porpoise  some  good  hints  on  naval  archi- 
tecture. If  anywhere  in  animal  locomotion  Nature  has 
given  to  man  a  model  for  ship-building  it  is  not  in 
any  bird  or  fish,  but  in  the  aquatic  mammals,  the 
porpoise  and  the  dolphin.  A  longitudinal  section  of  a 
porpoise  furnishes  an  outline  combining  the  proportion 
of  depth,  breadth  of  beam,  and  length  best  suited  to  a 
ship  for  speed,  strength,  and  safety.  At  the  great  yacht 
race  in  which  the  American  "  Volunteer  "  beat  the  Scotch 
"Thistle,"  how  few  knew  that  the  builder  of  the  lucky 
craft  had  studied  sections  of  a  dolphin  made  for  him  by 
a  naturalist. 

The  porpoise  is  neither  a  "  lubber  "  nor  a  "  tub-at-sea  " 
to  him  whose  eyes  see  truly.  I  have  watched  with  in- 
tense interest  their  gambols  in  the  ocean,  my  enjoyment 
only  damped  by  the  delight  of  a  passenger  in  shooting  at 
them  "just  for  fun."  And  even  then  their  conduct  was 
sensible,  for  when  one  of  their  number  was  wounded 
the  whole  herd  abandoned  the  ship. 

Porpoises  are  eminently  social,  herding  in  vast  num- 
bers. Says  a  learned  and  elegant  writer:  "A  prettier 
sight  can  scarcely  be  conceived  than  a  large  shoal  frol- 
icking, dashing,  and  springing  in  all  manner  of  fantastic 
curves  with  an  amazing  rapidity ;  and  woe  betide  the 
schools  of  herrings,  mackerels,  and  pilchards  that  are 
followed  by  these  rapacious  creatures ! " 


A    MEDLEY.  97 

Dolphins  and  porpoises  are  pretty  close  relations.  I 
suppose  my  readers  generally  have  heard  the  fable  of 
Arion.  It  is  classic,  but  incredible.  This  person  was  a 
noted  poet,  and  the  sailors  were  set  on  casting  him  into 
the  sea.  He  sang  one  of  his  songs,  which  so  entranced 
the  dolphins  that  one  of  them  bore  him  safely  to  land. 
Now  with  this  tough  yarn  in  his  mind  a  distinguished 
naturalist  expressed  himself  in  this  manner :  "  The  brain 
of  a  porpoise  is  quite  wonderful  for  its  mass,  and  for  the 
development  of  the  cerebral  convolutions.  And  yet,  since 
we  have  ceased  to  credit  the  story  of  Arion,  it  is  hard  to 
believe  that  porpoises  are  much  troubled  with  intellect." 
But  as  "  seeing  is  believing,"  this  distinguished  savant 
had  cause  to  change  his  opinion,  when  the  tame  por- 
poises of  the  great  Brighton  aquarium  astonished  the 
visitors  by  their  wonderful  performances. 

A  pair  of  porpoises  just  captured  was  given  an  im- 
mense tank  of  a  hundred  feet  in  length.  They  very 
soon  learned  to  know  their  keeper,  to  whom  they  be- 
came amiable  pets,  taking  their  food  from  his  hands  as 
gently  as  a  pet  dog  from  the  hands  of  its  mistress.  They 
even  let  him  toy  with  them  and  pat  and  stroke  "  their 
slippery  india-rubber-like  backs." 

These  porpoises  showed  themselves  to  be  strongly 
actuated  by  curiosity.  It  was  the  custom  to  put  some 
other  object,  such  as  a  large  fish,  into  the  tank.  Every 
new  arrival  caused  a  careful  inspection;  and  woe  to  the 
intruder  if  not  welcome!  Size  made  no  difference;  the 
two  literally  lorded  it  over  their  domain.  It  seemed  at 
first  as  if  there  were  familiarity,  —  as  if  they  should 
say  "  Pray  who  are  you  ?  "  Then  came  contempt,  then 


98  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

unremitting  persecution.  In  fact,  if  the  new  arrival 
were  at  all  formidable,  their  action  would  be  in  con- 
cert, like  that  of  the  two  dogs  whose  story  has  been 
told.  Some  dog-fishes,  known  as  Acartthias  and  Mus- 
telus,  from  three  to  four  feet  long,  were  introduced. 
Each  porpoise  would  seize  one  at  a  time  by  the  tail, 
and  swim  off  with  it,  shaking  it  as  a  dog  does  a  rat. 
The  poor  things  quickly  succumbed  to  such  brutal 
treatment.  A  fine  sturgeon,  six  feet  in  length,  was  put 
into  the  tank.  That  was  enough, — the  two  tyrants 
joined  forces  for  the  onslaught,  and  the  stranger's  life 
was  only  saved  by  taking  the  animal  out  in  a  lacerated 
condition. 

It  will  be  remembered,  that  of  the  two  dogs  whose  ex- 
ploits were  told  one  was  the  leader.  It  was  noticeable  of 
the  two  porpoises,  that  one  had  an  influence  over  the 
other;  in  fact,  at  feeding-time  this  one  always  secured  the 
lion's  share  of  the  food  provided.  Now  it  should  also 
be  mentioned  that  this  leader  was  the  first  to  become 
tame,  —  that  is,  he  first  took  in  the  situation.  The 
other  was  more  shy ;  and  as  is  usual,  this  very  shyness 
indicated  that  his  intelligence  was  not  up  to  that  of 
his  companion. 

I  have  mentioned  curiosity  as  a  mental  trait  in  the 
porpoise.  But  I  must  narrate  the  experience  of  a  Mr. 
Williams.  He  says  he  once  made  the  voyage  from  Con- 
stantinople to  London  in  a  small  vessel  laden  with  box- 
wood. The  passage  was  so  slow  that  it  took  nearly  the 
whole  summer;  and  the  ship  being  often  becalmed,  the 
porpoises  would  play  around  it  in  great  numbers.  Being 
told  by  the  sailors  that  no  sharks  were  about  when  the 


A    MEDLEY.  99 

porpoises  were  near,  he  was  emboldened  by  this  assur- 
ance to  try  the  water.  He  says:  "I  often  plunged  over- 
board, and  swam  towards  the  porpoises ;  and  they  would 
surround  me  in  a  nearly  circular  shoal  for  company, 
and  direct  toward  their  strange  visitor  an  amount  of 
attention  which  should  be  dignified  by  the  name  curi- 
osity." A  porpoise  must  breathe  the  air  at  very  short 
intervals.  This  necessity  would  afford  a  momentary 
arrest  of  their  scrutiny.  But  after  each  sobbing  snort 
they  would  resume  their  investigations,  "sometimes 
approaching  uncomfortably  near,  and  then  darting  off 
to  the  circumference  of  the  attendant  circle." 

Now  let  me  observe,  the  more  we  find  animals  amen- 
able to  the  control  of  man,  the  higher  is  their  intelli- 
gence. 

The   Porpoise   as   a   Fisnerman. 

East  of  Queensland,  in  Australia,  is  a  land-locked  body 
of  water  known  as  Moreton  Bay.  There  are  two  islands 
almost  parallel  with  the  shore  of  the  mainland.  These 
are  Moreton  arid  Stradbroke.  Were  they  united  they 
would  make  a  narrow  belt  of  land  about  sixty  miles  in 
length.  Their  separation  forms  a  small  strait,  which 
connects  the  bay  with  the  ocean.  This  immediate  region 
abounds  with  charming  scenery. 

The  story  is  strange  but  true,  that  the  porpoises 
which  frequent  this  bay  are  made  to  serve  the  neces- 
sities of  the  poor  savage  inhabitants  of  the  place  — 
that  is  to  say,  it  was  so  upon  a  time.  They  recognized 
them  as  "their  tame  porpoises."  When  the  exploring 
vessel,  the  Herald,  came  there,  these  simple  beings  be- 


100  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

sought  those  on  board  not  to  shoot  their  porpoises,  as 
they  were  their  food-providers.  And  this  was  the 
method  of  the  service.  The  porpoise  had  no  fear  of 
these  natives,  as  they  never  injured  them.  They  would 
gambol  near  the  shore,  seeming  to  enjoy  the  presence 
of  these  savage  friends.  Now  when  a  shoal  of  fish 
appeared  in  the  offing  the  savages  made  the  fact  known 
to  the  porpoises,  by  hoots  and  clamorous  sounds.  The 
herd  would  at  once  make  for  the  school,  acting  as 
outriders,  and  while  eating  enough  to  satisfy  themselves, 
would  drive  the  fish  up  into  the  shallower  waters  within 
reach  of  the  expectant  natives. 

The  animal  known  to  us  is  one  of  several  species, 
and  is  common  to  the  shore -waters  in  the  East.  It 
sometimes  approaches  our  Eastern  cities  in  bands  of 
six  or  a  dozen,  and  attracts  attention  by  its  graceful 
pitching  and  rolling  in  the  water,  at  the  same  time 
puffing  and  blowing.  This  is  the  Atlantic  porpoise, 
Phocsena  communis. 

Thirty  years  ago  it  was  often  seen  in  great  numbers 
in  Raritan  Bay.  To  us  the  sight  of  a  shoal  of  porpoises 
is  full  of  interest.  With  what  a  rhythmical  move- 
ment these  monsters  will  gambol  in  line,  one  huge 
fellow  taking  the  lead,  as  if  he  were  the  admiral  of 
the  fleet,  and  every  one  behind  duplicating  his  move- 
ments, pretty  much  like  the  play  of  boys,  "  Follow  your 
leader." 

I  remember  an  old  fisherman  narrating  to  me  the 
capture  of  three  porpoises  at  the  mouth  of  a  small 
creek  near  Keyport,  N.  J.  A  number  having  ascended 
it  at  high  tide,  the  fisherman  stretched  a  sturgeon-net 


A    MEDLEY.  101 

across  the  stream,  and  thus  intercepted  their  return. 
It  happened  in  the  old  man's  young  days,  and  he  was 
disposed  to  dilate  on  the  profit  of  the  incident  in  oil. 
But  the  one  point  which  interested  me  was  his  descrip- 
tion of  the  squealing  of  the  terrified  animals.  "  They 
fairly  whistled,  almost  like  a  boy !  "  he  exclaimed. 

I  could  not  do  less  than  entertain  the  old  man 
with  some  account  of  the  great  White  Dolphin, 
Beluga  borealis,  whose  capture  exacts  the  best  skill 
and  highest  daring  of  the  fishermen  of  the  St. 
Lawrence.  So  wary  is  this  creature,  that  a  row  of 
stakes  loosely  set  across  the  river,  for  a  scare,  will 
be  avoided,  and  they  will  betake  themselves  to  the 
open  space  at  one  end  of  the  row,  where  the  nets 
are  laid.  Here  some  are  caught,  but  those  which 
escape  will  give  similar  places  a  wide  berth  ever 
after.  As  for  noise,  those  white  dolphins  when  on 
a  lark  can  be  heard  a  mile  away.  And  the  sounds 
they  make  are  varied.  Now  it  is  like  the  shrill 
piping  of  a  loon,  and  anon  a  loud  hoarse  sound 
not  unlike  a  bark.  And  with  this  whistling  and 
bellowing  there  is  real  play ;  even  the  cow  dolphin 
joining  in  the  sport,  as  she  carries,  in  strange  con- 
trast of  color,  her  black  baby  squatted  in  a  depression 
of  the  back  near  the  tail. 

Now  it  is  characteristic  of  intelligent  animals,  that 
they  will  in  this  way  manifest  their  sense  of  the  situa- 
tion ;  and  similarly  does  the  great  elephant  in  its 
trumpeting  and  whistling  show  its  appreciation  of 
pleasure  or  apprehension  of  calamity. 

These  porcine   mammals  of  the   sea  follow   the   mi- 


102  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

grations  of  the  Clupidse,  the  family  of  fishes  in  which  the 
shad,  menhaden,  or  moss-bunker,  herring,  and  others  are 
found.  Thus  we  see  it  especially  in  the  spring  and  fall. 
As  food  is  his  object,  the  porpoise  keeps  in  their  wake, 
and  that  of  the  fierce  and  active  bluefish,  Temnodon 
saltator.  Not  more  terrified  would  a  herd  of  gazelles  be 
before  a  band  of  tigers,  than  is  the  moss-bunker,  Alosa 
menhaden,  when  pursued  by  the  bluefish.  The  poor 
things  crowd  like  a  moving  bank,  compacted  by  the 
devouring  pursuer;  and  the  pursuer  himself,  so  intent 
upon  his  victims,  is  in  turn  pursued;  for  the  porpoise 
is  pressing  behind. 

Porpoise   Sport. 

A  friend  of  mine,  the  commander  of  a  coasting  vessel, 
is  responsible  for  the  following  story :  "  It  was  early 
fall,  and  I  was  running  with  garden  stuff  from  Keyport 
to  New  York.  I  saw  several  porpoises.  They  were 
going  in  a  line,  much  as  you  always  see  them,  but 
the  two  head  ones  had  each  a  bluefish,  with  which  it 
played  as  a  cat  does  with  a  mouse.  They  were  some 
distance  off,  and  I  might  be  mistaken  about  the  height; 
but  each  porpoise  would  throw  up  its  fish  high  into 
the  air,  may  be  ten  or  twelve  feet,  as  nigh  as  I  could 
judge.  Just  after  each  toss-up  of  the  bluefish,  each 
porpoise  would  duck  its  nose,  by  a  forward  pitch  of 
its  body." 

"  That  was  indeed  surprising,"  I  said,  and  asked, 
"Did  each  porpoise  catch  the  fish  when  it  fell?" 

"That  I  couldn't  say,  but  should  think  most  likely 
not.  I  think  it  picked  the  fish  up  each  time,  One  of 


A    MEDLEY.  103 

them  I  know  tossed  its  fish  up  at  least  seven  times  in 
close  succession,  before  it  stopped.  I  am  satisfied,  too, 
that  it  was  one  and  the  same  bluefish  all  the  time." 

"  Well,  well,"  we  thought.  "  Then  this  queer,  ogreish 
fun  is  found  alike  among  porpoises,  seals,  and  cats! 
And  whether  among  animals  or  men,  is  not  this,  the 
grimmest,  also  the  lowest  humor  ?  " 

A  question  arises  as  to  the  kind  of  fun  this  is, 
namely,  its  mental  character.  Is  it  the  sport  of  a  boy 
tossing  and  catching  his  ball;  simply  that  enjoyment 
which  comes  of  the  exercise  of  skill  ?  Or  is  it  like  the 
gambols  of  a  lamb  or  a  kid,  mere  animal  gush,  or  over- 
flow ?  I  think  it  was  like  neither.  It  had  in  it  a  tinge 
of  malicious  exultation,  the  strong  making  game  of  the 
weak.  How  a  cat  will  purr  while  it  tosses  the  poor 
mouse,  still  alive,  and  perhaps  even  unhurt.  But  then, 
I  know  Tabbie  has  her  apologists. 

Still  her  complacency  is  grim.  It  is  identical  with 
that  madness  of  power  which  has  crimsoned  so  many 
pages  of  the  history  of  man.  We  may  not  wonder 
that  the  carnivore  enjoys  the  excitement  of  pursuit, 
and  the  success  of  capture.  But  as  a  rule  the  beast  is 
satisfied  when  hunger  is  allayed.  Tormenting  the  cap- 
tive is  the  exception.  Like  man  himself,  some  animals 
will  capture  and  destroy  for  no  other  reason  than  that 
there  is  opportunity,  and  they  find  gratification  in  so 
doing.  Perhaps  it  is  the  pleasure  of  exercising  skill. 

But  on  this  matter  of  the  animal  mind  one  more 
chapter  must  suffice,  and  this  shall  be  given  to  a 
special  aspect  of  mental  manifestation. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 


ANIMAL    HUMOR.  —  CONCLUDED. 

Craftiness   in   Animals. 

T  would  be  a  big  task  to  summon  for  review 
all  our  aquatic  merry-makers.  They  would 
prove  a  host  for  number.  In  such  an  inspec- 
tion we  should  need  to  invite  many  of  the  finny  tribe. 
And  yet  in  this  our  shortest  chapter  some  note  must 
be  taken,  though  in  a  rambling  way,  of  a  few  other 
beasts. 

Even  the  common  ass  upon  interview  proves  to  be 
an  uncommon  creature.  Mr.  Nefacias  in  town  has  a 
talent  for  not  doing  things  expected  of  him,  however 
pressing  the  occasion.  He  is  regarded  as  "the  village 
kicker,  and  contrary  as  an  ass " ;  all  which  means  that 
these  two  individuals  are  gifted  with  equal  endow- 
ments. 

My  neighbor  keeps  a  little  Spanish  donkey  for  the 
amusement  of  his  children.  Though  never  with  much 
enthusiasm,  the  animal  has  an  eye  for  duty  after  a 
fashion,  having  a  zeal  according  to  knowledge. 

He  knows  his  master's  children,  and  minds  them  be- 
cause they  know  him.  When  they  ride,  things  go 

104 


CONCLUSION.  105 

nicely,  for  they  are  well  up  to  his  antics,  and  can 
dodge  his  subtle  devices.  But  it  is  very  different  when 
a  visiting  child  attempts  to  enjoy  the  pleasure  implied 
in  granny's  simile :  "  Short  and  sweet,  like  a  donkey's 
gallop." 

I  have  witnessed  the  procedure,  and,  speaking  in  a 
past  tense,  the  little  beast  was  very  mannerly  and 
methodical  even  in  his  meanness.  He  would  start  well, 
and  high  would  rise  the  glee  and  laughter  of  his  little 
rider.  But  so  soon  as  the  speed  was  attained  which 
was  predetermined  in  the  donkey  mind  —  presto!  what 
a  change!  Of  a  sudden  the  long  ears  would  fall  back, 
—the  head  drop,  —  the  front  feet  be  set  forward  like 
two  braces,  and  the  beast  stand  stock-still !  Its  mo- 
mentum so  suddenly  checked  would  be  imparted  to  the 
little  rider,  who  would  be  shot  over  the  animal's  ears, 
feet  in  air,  and  headlong  to  the  ground. 

Thus  relieved  of  his  unwilling  load,  "the  patient 
ass,"  as  the  poet  has  it,  his  impatience  covered  with  a 
demure  aspect  of  countenance,  and  an  equine  equa- 
nimity of  soul  almost  philosophic,  would  turn  stable- 
ward.  There  would  be  no  unseemly  haste;  but  he 
would  seek  his  crib,  and  there  seem  given  to  retro- 
spection, as  thinking  over  his  adventure  in  profound 
asinine  astuteness. 

The  most  intelligent  animals  manifest  a  common 
human  weakness,  in  that,  when  on  evil  purpose  bent, 
like  many  a  professional  rogue,  they  will  give  them- 
selves away.  Certain  traits  of  conduct  betray  their 
cunning.  I  think  this  mingling  of  indiscretion  with 
foxy  wisdom  is  marked  in  the  horse  and  dog  fami- 


106  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

lies;  and  in  part  it  is  due  to  domestication,  which  is 
really  to  the  animal  an  education. 

I  once  bought  a  span  of  pretty  Canadian  ponies, 
and  went  to  the  stable  to  look  at  my  purchase.  The 
dispositions  of  the  two  differed  greatly.  One  was 
named  Jess  and  the  other  Joe.  I  patted  Jess  on  the 
neck,  and  it  was  taken  kindly.  I  then  did  the  same 
for  Joe,  when  to  my  surprise  the  beast  sprang  at 
me  with  a  snap  of  his  jaws,  which  I  dodged,  and 
by  barely  a  hair  saved  my  visage  from  defacement. 

"  Oh  !  ho !  "  said  I,  recovering  myself.  "  Come,  come, 
my  fine  fellow !  your  education  is  defective !  You 
have  yet  to  learn  who  your  new  master  is." 

Aware  that  my  not  holding  my  ground  at  the  first 
assault  would  embolden  the  beast  to  attempt  a  second 
one,  I  stood  stockstill,  with  my  eyes  fixed  upon  the 
brute's  ears,  and  my  right  fist  clenched.  Sure  enough 
it  proved  just  as  I  expected.  Those  tale-telling  ears 
fell  back,  and  the  upper  lip  curled  up,  revealing  his 
teeth,  and  he  came  to  pay  his  respects  to  me  the 
second  time.  He  was  now  met  half-way.  I  sum- 
moned into  my  good  right  arm  all  the  strength  pos- 
sible, and  with  my  fist  planted  a  blow  between  the 
two  nostrils.  How  the  brute's  eyes  did  bulge!  He 
seemed  dazed  with  astonishment.  It  was  manifestly 
a  new  experience. 

Joe  was  undoubtedly  more  intelligent  than  his  mate; 
and  in  this  problem  of  finding  out  his  master  he 
proved  himself  an  apt  scholar.  He  never  forgot  this 
lesson ;  and  knew  his  place  to  his  dying  day. 

I  have  elsewhere  mentioned  the  funny  caution  given 


CONCLUSION.  107 

me  by  a  muleteer,  when  with  my  little  boy  I  was 
standing  too  near  to  one  of  his  mules.  He  called, 
"  Take  care,  Mister !  or  that  critter  '11  stoop  up  at  you !  " 
The  man's  originality  amused  me ;  for  it  precisely 
describes  the  act  of  kicking  by  these  animals,  as  they 
prefer  to  use  both  hind  legs  in  the  operation.  Now,  to 
do  this  the  forefeet  become  pivotal.  The  body  for  the 
nonce  is  balanced  upon  these  feet,  as  the  forward  part 
of  the  beast  goes  down  and  the  hinder  part  goes  up; 
thus  he  "  stoops  up  "  and  kicks  at  the  person  behind. 

I  have  heard  of  the  amusing  way  the  muleteers  of 
a  certain  country  have  to  make  this  "  stooping-up " 
impossible.  A  long  stick  with  a  crotch  at  the  upper 
end  is  suspended  under  the  animal's  head,  the  lower 
end  being  but  a  very  little  distance  from  the  ground. 
When  the  beast  is  plotting  mischief,  he  of  course 
from  habit  and  necessity  tries  to  drop  or  bend  his 
head  forward,  then  the  stick  touches  the  ground,  and 
the  crotch  checks  the  descent  of  the  head.  Thus  the 
pivotal  action  of  the  machine  is  instantly  arrested,  as 
if  it  was  thrown  out  of  gear.  As  this  sudden  obstruc- 
tion of  the  animal's  freedom  is  of  a  kind  that  it  cannot 
get  accustomed  to,  there  is  a  diversion  of  tendencies, 
for  the  head  goes  up  instead  of  down;  hence  the 
kick  behind  becomes  so  impracticable  as  not  to  be 
re-attempted  for  some  time. 

One  breed  of  canines  I  have  never  acknowledged  as 
pets,  owing  to  their  incorrigible  craftiness.  The  Spitz 
dog  is  so  like  the  Esquimau  dog,  —  he  has  too  much 
of  the  wolf  in  him.  He  will  even  bite  the  children 
upon  their  teasing,  when  a  better  dog  would  forbear. 


108  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

I  think  I  have  seen  this  impersonation  of  deception 
feign  to  appreciate  a  little  fondling  by  a  stranger  for 
the  purpose  of  getting  a  good  opportunity  to  bite.  To 
me  the  very  name  of  the  breed  seems  significant, — 
Spitz!  a  snappy,  spiteful  spitfire.  And  there  is  such  a 
precision  of  method  in  his  duplicity  or  craftiness. 
He  will  come  up  to  you  with  a  dash  of  priggish 
impudence  which  you  mistake  for  harmless  familiarity. 
He  wall  seem  to  say :  "  Look  here,  sirrah  !  Who  are 
you?"  Then,  as  if  in  an  apologetic  way,  as  one  who 
sees  that  he  has  been  a  little  too  fast,  he  will  pause. 
Is  he  thinking  better  of  it  ?  He  sidles  up  to  you ! 
You  feel  like  patting  him  with  your  hand.  Don't  trust 
him !  Just  watch !  He  makes  believe  to  be  looking 
from  you,  —  and  his  head  is  pointed  away.  The  deceit- 
ful cur!  He  has  one  eye  upon  you  all  the  time.  His 
ears  are  set  ominously,  the  tail  is  immovable  and 
depressed.  A  vicious  snap,  and  a  sharp  yelp,  and  he 
is  away  out  of  reach  of  your  foot  or  stick.  He  has  bit- 
ten you,  and  the  brute  in  that  yelp  of  exultation  adds 
insult  to  injury.  A  man  without  humor  is  hardly  safe ; 
and  beware  the  dog  whose  waggery  is  gone ! 

Some    Ratiocination. 

I  recall  the  instance  of  an  old  rat  over-reaching  itself 
by  excessive  cunning.  A  friend  in  the  pork  business 
was  greatly  annoyed  by  these  vermin,  After  much 
effort  he  seemed  to  be  rid  of  them  all  except  one  old 
rat.  He  was  portly,  and  in  craft  fully  equal  to  his 
patriarchal  years.  He  had  successfully  defied  all 


CONCLUSION.  109 

poisons,    gins,    and    snares.      He    was     often     seen,— 
which  made  the  case  the  more  provoking. 

It  was  resolved  to  make  a  new  trap,  and  different 
from  all  previously  used.  So  a  long  box  was  con- 
structed with  a  drop  door  at  each  end.  The  bait 
was  suspended  inside  at  the  middle  of  the  box. 
The  new  trap  was  set,  and  a  watch  kept  up  to  see 
how  the  old  rat  would  manage. 

He  soon  made  his  appearance,  approaching  very 
slowly,  and  with  the  utmost  caution,  the  ebony  eyes 
taking  in  the  situation  with  admirable  circumspection. 
The  big  box,  open  at  both  ends,  caught  his  attention. 
At  a  safe  distance  he  could  look  through  it,  and 
could  see  the  meat  hanging  inside,  —  a  very  tempting 
sight  for  a  rat  that  is  hungry.  Cautiously  he  drew 
closer,  and  looked  through  from  one  end.  Then  just 
as  cautiously  he  made  an  inspection  at  the  other  end. 
He  then  went  slowly  around  it,  looking  and  sniffing; 
in  a  word,  thoroughly  investigating  the  new-fangled 
machine.  Three  times  was  this  careful  examination 
made,  when  the  rat  drew  off  a  few  feet  from  the 
box,  and  squatting  kept  his  eyes  fixed  upon  the  bait. 

It  was  now  apparent  that  the  animal  had  made 
up  its  mind:  it  had  resolved  to  carry  off  that  meat 
by  strategy,  either  in  whole  or  in  part.  The  plan 
was  to  make  a  dash  through  the  box,  snatching  the 
coveted  morsel,  or  a  bite  of  it,  on  the  run.  He 
would  show  himself,  as  he  had  done  before,  too  sharp 
to  be  caught  in  a  trap.  He  did  not  know  the  wise 
saw  about  "the  best  laid  plans  of  mice  and  men." 
But  that  other  proverb  he  appeared  to  know,  — 
"  Nothing  venture,  nothing  have." 


110  ANIMAL    HUMOR. 

The  rat  now  seemed  to  gather  itself  up  for  the 
final  spring.  There  was  a  swift  plunge,  and  a  dex- 
trous pull  at  the  meat  in  passing;  when  down  came 
the  drop-door  at  each  end,  and  the  poor  brave  thing 
was  caught  at  last.  The  cry  which  went  up  from 
the  captive  was  truly  pitiful !  it  was  the  piercing 
squeak  of  despair.  His  long  career  of  evasion  had 
reached  a  rueful  end.  The  boss  deceiver  was  ensnared 
by  his  own  greediness.  As  will  happen  to  "artful 
dodgers "  of  a  higher  class,  the  wise  was  caught  in 
his  own  craftiness. 

The  above  was  written  just  before  leaving  home 
to  attend  a  meeting  of  a  society  in  a  certain  college. 
I  was  made  the  guest  for  the  night  of  one  of  the 
professors.  This  gentleman  had  a  tame  rat,  which 
was  a  cherished  pet  of  the  family.  It  was  a  female 
and  quite  prettily  marked.  About  half  of  the  body 
was  a  clear  ermine-white  and  the  other  part  a  glossy 
sable-black.  The  professor  smoked  a  wooden  pipe, 
while  the  gentle  little  thing  ran  over  him,  snug- 
gling in  the  back  of  his  neck,  then  diving  into  his 
pockets,  and  taking  other  personal  liberties,  in  a 
general  and  uninterrupted  way.  I  was  surprised  to 
notice  a  trick  in  which  she  indulged,  as  often  as 
the  notion  took  her,  when  the  professor  sat  down  to 
his  "smoke."  As  soon  as  her  learned  master  has 
filled  the  bowl  of  his  pipe  with  "  the  weed,"  before 
he  has  applied  the  match,  Noozie  is  allowed  to  help 
herself;  and  she  actually  does  take  a  nip  of  the  to- 
bacco, and  seems  to  eat  it! 

A  letter   from   the    professor   informs  me  that  since 


CONCLUSION.  Ill 

my  visit,  probably  impressed  by  my  criticisms  on  her 
conduct,  Noozie  had  mended  her  manners,  for  she  had 
apparently  abjured  the  weed.  He  also  added,  that  she 
had  begun  to  evince  a  taste  for  literature;  for  while 
he  was  smoking  and  reading  his  magazines  and 
journals,  she  would  now  insist  on  making  an  extract 
here  and  there  literally  tearing  the  article  to  pieces 
like  a  new-fledged  critic. 

I  think  this  interesting  pet  must  have  come  from 
the  black  rat,  which  once  possessed  the  land.  Her 
size  and  form  indicate  as  much.  Otherwise  the  black 
part  would  indicate  melanism,  as  the  white  did  albi- 
noism;  and  yet  her  eyes  were  jet-black,  and  not  pink, 
as  is  general  with  albinos. 

These  chapters  on  Animal  Humor  are  now  closed. 
And  what  of  it  all?  This  much  surely,  —  herein  is  a 
revealing  of  the  inner  life  of  the  lowly  ones  in  the 
great  animal  scheme.  These  merry-makings  and  mis- 
haps are  the  lights  and  shadows  of  the  animal  mind, 
which  like  our  own  is  many-sided. 

The  duty  now  devolves  in  what  follows  to  deal 
more  precisely  with  individual  animal  biography, 
after  clearing  up  some  points  of  structure.  Our 
treatment  will  be  more  zoological,  yet  shall  we  see 
semi-human  traits  cropping  out  all  along  the  line. 


CHAPTER    IX. 


SOME    QUEER   AOTMAI^S. 

The    Concealed    Meanings    in    their    Structure. 

E  have  had  thus  far  an  entertaining  time,  and 
there  are  many  pleasant  things  yet  in  store. 
We  have  seen  something  of  animal  mind  in 
its  many-sided  moods;  that  is,  we  have  seen  a  great 
many  mental  manifestations  of  the  so-called  "  dumb 
creatures."  Of  course  we  have  been  dealing  with  ani- 
mals of  exceptional  intelligence,  the  most  of  them 
being  such  as  are  put  by  the  naturalist  under  the 
convenient  word  Educabilia,  because  they  are  capable 
of  being  tamed,  hence  instructed. 

It  will  be  wise  now  to  turn  a  little  while  from  the 
mental  to  the  physical,  the  internal  framework  of  the 
animal.  In  doing  so  I  shall  again  deal  with  creatures 
of  an  exceptional  character;  but  such  as  are  low  down 
instead  of  high  up  the  scale  of  animal  rank.  My 
purpose  is  to  pry  into  some  secrets  in  the  skeletal 
fabric  of  certain  creatures  of  seemingly  erratic  con- 
struction ;  and  I  think  it  quite  safe  to  promise  that,  if 
our  attention  is  fairly  given  to  this  subject  for  a  few 
minutes,  there  will  result  a  large  measure  of  reward. 
112 


SOME    QUEER   ANIMALS.  113 

I  remember,  a  few  years  ago,  a  fun-loving  artist 
made  an  amusing  book.  It  was  a  comical  affair,  for  it 
contained  a  series  of  pictures  of  animals  of  the  mosi 
grotesque  forms.  Of  course  they  were  the  creation  of 
a  playful  and  ingenious  imagination.  It  was  really 
zoological  "  crazy-work,"  but  upon  a  plane  of  art.  The 
pictures  were  puzzles  of  anomaly;  for  without  seeming 
to  violate  propriety,  or  probability,  the  artist  had  con- 
structed drawings  of  animals  with  the  most  incongruous 
make-up  of  parts.  One  of  his  creations,  for  instance, 
might  have  an  eagle's  head  and  the  limbs  of  a  lion,  the 
body  above  armed  with  the  scales  of  a  reptile,  and 
below  clad  in  the  feathers  of  a  bird,  while  the  hinder 
part  was  taken  from  the  extremities  of  a  fish. 

Now,  unless  we  get  at  the  hidden  meaning  in  her  work, 
we  may  almost  believe  that  Nature  was  a  similar  hu- 
morist in  "  the  beginning."  As  Agassiz  regarded  it,  the 
Creator  had  his  plans  of  animal  forms,  and  of  life-eras 
on  this  earth.  A  great  Branch  of  the  animal  kingdom 
would  include  in  itself  several  families,  and  in  each 
family  several  orders. 

To  illustrate  the  above,  let  us  mention  as  a  Branch 
the  Vertebrata,  that  is,  all  creatures  possessing  the  spinal 
column.  These  would  be  naturally  divided  into  families, 
the  number  at  least  being  five, — Mammals,  Birds,  Rep- 
tiles, Amphibia,  and  Fishes.  Now  the  embryologists, 
taking  a  species  of  the  mammals,  show  that  in  its 
growth  at  its  beginning  of  life  there  may  be  read  off 
as  it  progresses  a  shadowy  outline  of  all  the  families 
below  it  in  the  Branch  to  which  its  class  belongs. 

But  I  must  defer  considering  this  topic  of  embryology 


114  ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

until  something  has  been  said  on  the  apparent  eccen- 
tricity, and  even  monstrosity,  of  the  early  animal  forms. 
»  The  other  day  I  went  to  the  brook  in  the  meadow  to 
get  some  fishes  for  my  aquarium.  Crossing  the  fence 
I  stepped  into  the  rank  herbage,  when  a  tiny  squeak 
smote  my  ear,  and  stooping  to  learn  the  cause,  I 
found  to  my  grief  I  had  trodden  on  a  little 
jumping  mouse,  the  Zapus  Hudsonius.  I  took  up  the 
grotesque  mite  of  a  mammal  tenderly,  and  felt  very 
badly  at  seeing  it  after  a  few  gasps  die  in  my  hand. 

Its  innocent  oddity,  and  seeming  disproportion  of 
limbs,  set  me  at  criticising.  At  first  came  the  dubious 
compliment  —  a  pretty  bit  of  eccentricity — then  in  my 
still  vainer  wisdom  I  queried  if  Nature  could  not 
have  turned  out  a  better  job  while  about  it?  These 
fore-limbs,  I  argued,  so  ridiculously  short,  and  the 
hind  ones  so  preposterously  long !  Why,  thought  I, 
if  one  of  these  little  beings  should  try  to  run,  it  could 
only  bump  its  nose  upon  the  ground.  But,  fie  on  all 
such  questionings !  They  are  neither  wise  nor  be- 
coming. 

The  simple  trouble  with  little  Zapus  was,  it  had 
been  caught  at  a  disadvantage,  like  many  another 
body  much  better  endowed.  The  tiny  thing  had  got 
for  a  moment  entangled  in  a  mat  of  grass  and  weeds, 
which  made  jumping,  its  specialty,  impossible.  Many 
a  time  the  little  fellow,  —  thanks  to  this  disproportion 
of  parts!  —  had  shown  himself  too  clever  for  the  wiser 
folks.  His  clean  leaps  in  zigzag  lines  had  completely 
outwitted  the  night  owl,  for  all  his  wisdom,  and  baffled 
the  mink,  with  all  his  snaky  litheness.  Neither  one 


SOME    QUEER   ANIMALS.  115 

was  at  all  times  equal  to  the  dodging  tricks  of  this 
tiny  creature.  Those  ten-feet  leaps  in  diverse  directions 
through  the  tangle  of  the  meadow  have  often  proved 
too  perplexing  to  the  pursuers  of  the  little  jump- 
ing mouse. 

Though  not  very  probable,  it  is  not  impossible,  that 
this  sad  mishap  was  due  to  a  different  cause  from  the 
one  I  have  just  mentioned,  —  the  dense  weeds.  Many 
animals  indulge  in  a  long  winter  sleep,  and  such  are  said 
to  hibernate.  Others  there  are  that  are  given  to  immod- 
erate slumber  in  summer.  These  are  said  to  aestivate; 
and  this  habit  is  practiced  by  some  of  the  out-of-door 
mice.  But  I  dare  not  assert  that  Zapus  is  one  of  these 
little  sleepy-heads. 

And  as  to  this  inordinate  length  of  the  little  fellow's 
hind  limbs,  it  almost  seems  funny  that,  long  before 
man  was  made  to  be  a  critic  on  her  works,  Nature 
delighted  in  this  type  of  living  forms,  manifesting  it  in 
many  animal  structures;  and  some  of  these  were  the 
most  titanic  in  size  and  strange  in  aspect. 

It  was  once  my  good  fortune  to  discover  some  bones 
in  a  stratum  of  the  formation  known  as  the  Cretaceous. 
Upon  these  fossils  Professor  Cope  erected  the  genus  Orni- 
thotarsus.  This  strange  word  really  means  the  bird- 
ankled-being.  It  must  indeed  have  been  a  monster,  in 
form  so  strange  and  in  size  so  prodigious !  Moving  upon 
its  huge  hind  limbs,  which  were  six  feet  long,  with 
its  forward  limbs  so  comically  short,  when  walking  this 
animate  bulk,  camel-like,  would  sway  from  side  to  side, 
though  not  with  equal  grace,  for  it  would  be  as  if  that 
"ship  of  the  desert"  should  careen  on  stilts. 


116  ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

This  immense  beast  browsed  on  the  twigs,  leaves,  and 
fruit  of  the  forest-trees ;  and  how  admirable  the  adapta- 
tion !  A  great  heavy  tail,  so  set  at  the  will  of  the  reptile 
as  to  rest  upon  the  ground  like  an  inverted  bow.  This 
with  the  two  immense  limbs  made  a  firm  tripod.  Thus 
this  creature,  some  twelve  feet  high,  with  its  short 
fore-feet,  or  hands,  could  pull  down  the  high  branches 
to  its  great  uncanny  mouth. 

Later  on  in  the  life  of  our  Mother  Earth  Nature 
evolves  another  type  on  a  somewhat  similar  pattern ;  but 
though  retaining  a  good  deal  of  the  reptile,  there  is  in 
it  more  of  the  coming  bird.  And  as  that  bird-reptile 
was  long-limbed,  and  in  every  way  monstrous,  so  the 
more  recent  reptilian-bird  is  equally  strange.  As  being 
the  best  known,  and  the  most  recent,  may  be  mentioned 
the  probably  extinct  Moas  of  New  Zealand,  —  birds  whose 
limb-bones  were  as  strong  as  those  of  an  elephant.  In 
fact,  these  birds  have  been  called  "  the  elephant-footed 
Moas."  One  species  was  thirteen  feet  high.  The  egg  of 
this  bird  was  ten  inches  long  and  seven  inches  thick. 
If  those  improvident  Maoris  who  killed  off  these  birds 
for  food  ate  boiled  eggs  in  the  modern  manner,  they 
would  have  needed  egg-cups  as  large  as  a  man's  hat. 

Have  we  not  by  this  time  reached  the  conviction  that 
Nature  works  on  lines  of  method,  and  makes  no  leaps. 
In  creating  the  true  reptile  something  of  the  lower 
amphibian,  namely,  the  frog,  was  conserved  in  the  plan. 
And  the  earliest  birds  carried  in  their  structures  a  good 
deal  of  their  reptilian  ancestry.  What,  then,  might  not 
be  expected  of  the  earliest  mammal  ?  Must  not  it,  too, 
be  a  composite  being,  looking  forward  to  the  less  com- 


SOME  QUEER  ANIMALS.  117 

posite,  or  more  beautiful  beasts,  of  the  present  epoch? 
and  also  looking  backward  to  forms  more  complex,  or 
mixed  in  structure,  hence  more  lowly? 

How  often  has  it  given  me  an  exquisite  pleasure  to 
read  the  significance  of  certain  relics  treasured  in  some 
households.  Amid  a  lavish  presence  of  modern  art, 
and  almost  dissonant  to  their  surroundings,  one  sees 
here  a  bit  of  quaintly  fashioned  furniture,  and  there, 
an  odd  piece  of  delicate  porcelain.  Each  bit  has  its 
domestic  history,  and  is  an  heir-loom.  In  a  word,  I 
find  myself  in  the  home  of  one  of  the  "old  families," 
and  these  out-of-the-way  articles  are  ancestral  remains, 
mementos  of  the  past. 

We  speak  of  the  New  World,  meaning  the  Americas. 
But  it  is  an  ancient  land,  and  is,  geologically,  the  Old 
World.  Some  of  its  living  animals  have  their  nearest 
representatives  in  the  fossil  remains  of  the  bygone  ages  of 
the  earth.  Notably  is  this  true  of  the  opposums  in  South 
America,  and  the  one  species  of  the  same  in  North 
America.  These  creatures,  like  oddities  among  recent 
forms,  are  relics  of  a  former  geologic  age,  survivals  of  a 
great  fauna  that  otherwise  has  passed  away. 

But,  leaving  out  New  Zealand,  Australia  is  the  one 
exceptional  land.  It  completely  represents  an  ancient 
geologic  age  writh  its  antique  forms  of  life,  both  of 
animals  and  plants.  This  strange  country  has  two 
small  animals  of  such  incongruous  structure  as  to  have 
caused  much  discussion  among  learned  men.  These  are 
the  Ornithorhyncus  and  Echidna,  or,  as  the  residents  call 
them,  the  Ducked-billed  or  Water-mole,  and  the  Porcu- 
pine Anteater. 


118  ANIMAL   MEMOIRS. 

A  First   Introduction. 

I  was  walking  up  Broadway,  in  New  York,  many 
years  ago,  and  my  attention  was  attracted  by  *  two 
curious  stuffed  animals  in  the  window  of  a  furrier's 
shop.  I  went  in,  and  the  following  colloquy  occurred : 

"  Would  you  please  let  me  see  those  stuffed  animals 
in  your  window  ?  " 

"Have  no  objection.  That's  what  they  were  put 
there  for." 

"Yes,  but  I  want  to  examine  them.  Would  you 
let  me  take  them  out  and  inspect  them  as  a  naturalist 
would  like  to  do?" 

"Ha!   I   see.     Certainly." 

So  saying,  he  kindly  took  the  objects  from  the 
window,  and  set  them  on  the  counter.  I  became 
absorbed  in  the  study  of  those  queer  forms.  The  man 
asked  their  names,  and  was  told  that  the  one  with 
the  spines  was  the  Echidna  hystrix,  the  Porcupine 
Ant-eater  of  Australia ;  "  and  this,"  said  I,  patting  the 
other  one,  "  is  the  Platypus,  or  Ducked-billed  Mole,  the 
Water-mole,  Ornythorhyncus  anatinus" 

"The  what?"  exclaimed  the  shopman.  "Please  say 
it  over  again ! "  It  was  repeated,  when  he  gave  me  a 
card  and  pencil,  with  a  request  to  write  the  name  for 
him ;  which  done,  he  put  the  card  into  his  pocket-book, 
and  said  with  a  chuckle,  "Won't  I  bother  them  at 
the  spelling-bee  to-night !  " 

For  myself  I  got  at  harder  spelling  than  the  shop- 
keeper ever  dreamed  of.  Before  me  was  an  animal  of  a 
singular  shape,  about  eighteen  inches  long.  The  toes 


SOME    QUEER   ANIMALS.  119 

were  webbed  like  a  duck's.  But  the  leathery  web 
extended  far  beyond  the  points  of  the  claws,  as  if 
the  ribs  of  a  fan  should  fail  to  reach  the  outer  edge. 
Now  for  swimming  these  leathery  fans,  so  adjusted,  were 
admirable. 

But  I  also  noticed  that  the  limbs  were  very  short 
and  very  strong.  That  gave  the  sharp  nails  great 
efficiency  in  excavating  burrows,  —  a  mole-like  habit, 
while  a  muscular  command  of  that  extended  web 
could  retract  or  draw  it  up  or  on  the  ball  of  the 
foot,  so  as  to  be  out  of  the  way  of  the  claws,  or  toes, 
when  digging.  In  the  structure  of  this  foot  was  a 
beautiful  combination  of  the  foot  of  the  burrowing 
mole  and  that  of  a  swimming-bird.  On  the  heel  of 
each  hind  foot  I  noticed  a  spur  precisely  like  that  of 
the  male  barn-yard  fowl.  The  bill,  too,  was  almost 
exactly  that  of  a  duck,  and,  as  I  had  learned,  it  had 
on  its  edges  a  fine  outfit  of  nerves,  so  that,  like  the 
duck,  when  probing  the  mud  it  could  distinguish  and 
separate  its  food. 

The  fur  of  Platypus  had  a  velvety  "feel,"  and  was 
short,  close,  and  brown.  The  hair  on  the  tail  was 
longer,  and  somewhat  harsh  to  the  touch.  The  entire 
pelt  had  some  luster,  and,  like  the  feathers  of  a  duck, 
was  well  fitted  to  repel  the  water  from  the  skin. 
Herein  seemed  combined  in  one  the  land  mole  and 
the  aquatic  duck. 

So  let  us  not  wonder  at  the  older  naturalists,  who 
in  their  perplexity  loaded  this  little  animal  with 
learned  names.  They  were,  in  truth,  epithets  of  wonder. 
One  of  these  was  a  triple  name,  —  to  wit:  Ornitho- 


120  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

rhyncus  platypus  paradoxus, —  all  which  when  turned 
into  the  common  speech  did  signify,  "the  bird-billed 
broad-footed  enigmatical  beast." 

But  what  has  been  said  concerns  only  the  exterior 
of  the  animal;  and  mere  outward  form  is  sometimes 
deceptive.  Here,  as  elsewhere,  it  is  desirable  to  find 
truth  in  the  inward  parts.  Hence,  what  about  the 
creature's  framework  and  its  physiology?  Under  such 
an  examination  this  anomalous  little  beast  proves  to 
be  a  composite  of  seeming  inutilities.  Its  skeleton  is 
made  up  of  parts  so  diverse  in  nature  as  to  seem 
borrowed  from  the  amphibian,  the  reptile,  and  the 
bird,  while  other  parts  of  the  bony  structure  are  those 
of  a  marsupial  or  pouch-bearing  mammal.  And  these 
so-called  marsupial  bones  are  strong  in  Platypus;  and 
yet,  while  indispensable  to  the  Kangaroo,  so  far  as 
science  can  determine,  for  this  strange  creature  they 
subserve  no  functional  purpose  whatever. 

And  this  anomalous  little  thing  has  also  some 
decidedly  bird-like  features  in  its  skeleton.  In  a  true 
bird  are  the  coracoid  bones,  which  are  processes  or 
extensions  of  what  is  the  scapula  or  shoulder-blade  in 
the  mammals.  The  coracoids,  in  virtue  of  their  strength 
and  the  position  they  occupy,  are  necessary  to  the  bird, 
for  they  play  the  part  of  supporters  to  the  wings  in 
their  powerful  downward  strokes,  and  they  protect 
the  heart,  lungs,  etc.,  from  this  violent  action!  The 
Platypus  has  these  same  bones,  and  they  are  even 
more  robust  than  in  the  bird.  These  bones  also  seem 
to  have  no  function. 

Did  you  ever  see  a  bird  wink  ?    The  curious  fact  is, 


SOME    QUEER    ANIMALS.  121 

that  a  bird  winks  with  its  eyes  wide  open !  The  truth 
is,  it  has  a  third  eyelid,  very  thin  and  transpar- 
ent, known  in  science  as  the  nictitating,  that  is, 
winking  membrane.  This  can  be  drawn  over  the 
ball  with  the  eyelids  proper  wide  open ;  hence  in 
moderating  the  light  to  birds  looking  at  the  sun,  or 
for  the  diving-birds  when  under  the  water,  enabling 
them  to  cover  the  eyeball,  and  yet  to  see,  this  mem- 
brane is  of  great  service.  This  same  third  eyelid  is 
in  the  eye  of  the  Platypus,  and  serves  it  the  same 
purpose  that  it  serves  the  duck,  as  the  Platypus  is 
pre-eminently  an  animal  whose  element  is  the  water. 

If  we  look  at  the  skull  of  any  animal  of  high  rank, 
we  shall  find  that  it  is  marked  with  sinuous  or 
notched  lines.  These  lines  are  called  sutures,  and  they 
show  the  delicate  mortising  of  the  pieces  of  the  skull. 
Now,  in  the  lower  animals,  even  the  birds  in  adult 
life,  these  markings  on  the  skull  are  not  seen.  In 
other  words,  the  sutures  are  smooth.  All  this  is  true 
of  the  Platypus,  that  is,  its  skull  is  bird-like.  So  of  its 
brain ;  like  that  of  a  bird,  it  has  almost  no  convolutions. 
Like  the  bird,  too,  its  ears  are  not  seen,  for  it  has 
not  the  conch,  or  external  ear.  This  organ  is  a  simple 
circular  opening  into  each  side  of  the  head,  very  near 
to  the  base  of  the  bird-like  beak. 

As  to  teeth,  what  it  has  to  serve  the  functions  of 
such  are  not  the  bony  structures  of  other  mammals, 
but  simply  horny  ridges.  Curiously,  some  of  these  are 
on  the  animal's  tongue,  —  a  true  reptilian  feature.  And 
there  are  also  in  the  bony  skeleton  points  of  resem- 
blance to  the  reptiles,  and  even  to  the  lower 
amphibia,  the  frogs. 


122  ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

And  besides  the  above  coincidences  in  the  bony 
frame  of  the  Water-mole,  or  Platypus,  and  which  to 
a  large  extent  occur  also  in  the  Australian  Porcupine, 
or  Echidna,  both  of  these  animals  have  physiological 
peculiarities,  so  remarkable  for  mammals,  and  so  sug- 
gestive of  the  birds  and  reptiles,  as  to  cause  them  to 
be  separated  by  the  systematists  from  all  the  other 
mammals,  and  put  by  themselves  in  an  order  under  the 
name  Monotremata.  And  this  order  is  set  at  the  very 
bottom  of  the  existing  scale,  as  indicating  the  beginning 
or  lowest  form  in  the  Class  Mammalia.  So  we  need 
not  wonder  it  was  often  asserted  that  this  bird-like 
little  beast  laid  eggs. 

As  we  have  been  discussing  a  rather  abstruse  topic, 
and  the  points  made  have  been  somewhat  scattered,  it 
would  be  well  to  find  a  short  summary,  something 
like  what  an  historian  prepares  for  his  work.  Such  a 
synopsis  aids  the  mind  to  understand  and  the  memory 
to  retain  the  subject  in  hand.  If  the  works  of 
Nature  consisted  of  merely  hap-hazard  or  incidentally 
connected  facts,  it  could  hardly  be  expected  that  a 
summary  on  the  line  of  method  would  be  possible. 
But  has  not  Nature  a  plan?  Is  not  "order  Heaven's 
first  law  "  ?  Hence  animal  creation  means  progressive- 
ness  of  structure  upon  a  scheme,  and  even  upon 
sections  of  a  plan. 


CHAPTER    X. 


HIDDEN   MEANINGS. 

The   Mystery   in   a   Bird's   Egg. 

HEN  Kepler  the  astronomer  was  evolving  with 
his  mathematics  the  planetary  movements  in 
space,  finding  that  he  could  formulate  their 
laws,  he  paused  in  his  work,  and  said  reverently :  "  But 
I  am  thinking  the  thoughts  of  God!"  And  not  less 
reverent  should  be  the  student  in  Natural  History, — 
since,  though  somewhat  nebulous,  there  is  recorded  in 
some  of  the  processes  of  life  briefs  or  synopses  of  the 
Great  Lawgiver's  processes  or  steps  in  establishing  the 
order  of  animal  structures. 

But  there  was  a  great-minded  man — Louis  Agassiz — 
possessed  with  a  reverent  spirit  and  noble  conceptions, 
who  did  see  "  the  genius  of  God  "  in  the  skeletal  fabric 
of  a  living  organism,  as  revealing  the  pedigree  of  the 
creature,  and  its  place  in  the  succession  of  living  forms. 

When  it  comes  to  watching  the  growth  of  the  animal 
embryo,  there  can  be  noted  in  the  successive  advances 
a  condensed  exhibit,  a  changing  picture,  of  the  phases 
of  procedure  or  order  observed  in  the  creation  of  a 
great  group,  or  series  of  classes  of  animals.  Take,  for 

123 


124  ANIMAL   MEMOIRS. 

instance,  but  one  of  the  creative  schemes, — the  one  on 
which  that  Branch  was  produced  which  embraces  all 
the  actual  forms  in  the  several  classes  of  the  frogs, 
the  reptiles,  and  the  birds,  —  and  we  shall  find  their 
pedigree  or  succession  recapitulated  as  if  in  a  synopis, 
in  the  successive  unfoldings  of  the  embryo  in  the 
egg  of  a  bird.  Thus  in  a  few  paragraphs  let  us 
try  to  read  this  one  of  the  pedigrees  of  life-forms,  as 
unfolded  in  an  incubating  egg. 

The  Parts  of  a  Bird's   Egg. 

The  general  idea  is  that  an  egg  is  made  up  of  three 
parts,  —  the  shell,  the  white,  and  the  yolk.  To  these 
the  more  knowing  ones  add  "  the  tread,"  or  "  eye."  Let 
us  be  more  particular,  though  we  cannot  tell  all;  so 
much  could  be  said  on  its  chemical  composition.  First, 
there  is  the  outer  shell.  This  is  mainly  composed  of 
a  lime  carbonate,  and  so  is  really  a  capsule  or  box  of 
marble.  Inside  like  a  loose  lining  is  a  thin  but  tough 
membrane  mainly  of  albumen.  This  membrane  serves 
as  a  sack  to  contain  the  glairy  fluid  called  "  the 
white,"  which  is  albumen.  At  the  "  big  end "  of  the 
egg,  between  the  shell  and  the  lining  membrane,  is  a 
small  space  filled  with  air,  which  is  heavily  charged 
with  oxygen.  Near  the  middle  of  the  "  white "  or 
albumen  is  the  yellow  fluid  known  as  "  the  yolk," 
which  also  is  enclosed  in  a  thin  membrane  of  its 
own,  by  which  it  is  enabled  without  mixing  to  float 
on  the  "  white "  fluid.  This  yellow  mass  is  composed 
of  so  many  chemical  combinations,  that  only  a  few 


HIDDEN    MEANINGS.  125 

of   the   simple   substances    can  be    mentioned    here,— 
sodium,  potassium,  phosphorus,  sulphur,  and  lime,  etc. 

Situated  in  this  storehouse  of  chemicals,  from  which 
a  living  thing  is  to  be  elaborated,  is  a  pretty  object 
of  a  yellowish-white  color.  It  is  well  to  one  side  of 
the  yolk,  and  is  very  improperly  called  "  the  tread." 
This  is  the  germ,  the  spot  of  mystery,  where  the  life- 
processes  will  start  in  the  building  of  the  embryo 
chick.  This  germ  is  swung  upon  a  band,  like  a  tiny 
hammock,  whose  ends  are  at  the  two  poles  of  the 
yolk.  Out  of  this  comes  a  curious  and  very  inter- 
esting result.  On  whatever  side  the  egg  may  lie  when 
hatching,  this  little  swing  is  sure  to  keep  the  germ 
uppermost,  so  as  to  get  the  heat  from  the  mother  sitting 
on  the  nest.  But  when  the  organism  has  progressed 
what  is  to  prevent  the  little  thing  from  smothering 
inside  the  marble  casket?  Now  comes  in  the  function 
of  the  air  vesicle  at  the  large  end  of  the  egg,  surcharged 
with  oxygen;  this  enables  the  embryo  to  breathe.  It 
is  thus  a  living  tomb,  from  which  will  emerge  a  vital 
and  complex  form. 

I  have  now  mentioned  seven  functional  parts  of 
the  egg.  No  technical  terms  have  been  used,  but 
some  must  be  introduced,  and  this  will  bring  the 
matter  up  nicely  in  review.  The  first  was  the  shell, 
then  came  the  thin  lining  membrane,  which  also 
enclosed  the  white  or  albumen.  After  this  the  little 
cavity  at  the  large  end  of  the  egg,  called  vesicula  aeris, 
the  vesicle  of  strongly  oxygenated  air.  Next  the 
yellow  mass,  vitellus,  or  yolk,  and  its  thin  membranous 
envelope.  Lastly  the  hammock,  or  swing,  and  the 


126  ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

suspended    germ,    or   cicatricula,   so    called,   because    it 
resembles  a  little  scar. 


What   goes  on  Inside  the  Egg. 

I  cannot  stop  to  repeat  what  is  said  about  the 
chemical  forces,  in  respect  to  their  role  in  the  origin 
of  life.  As  science  has  not  yet  proved  much  on  this 
point,  it  is  better  to  abide  by  the  old-fashioned 
phrase,  the  life-force;  for  we  have  reached  a  point 
where  its  use  has  become  necessary.  By  the  application 
of  the  warmth  of  her  own  body  to  the  egg  the  mother 
bird  is  to  evolve  a  true  counterpart  of  herself.  Let 
us  watch  the  process. 

At  first  the  yolk  is  the  pabulum  on  which  the 
started  organism  is  to  be  fed,  and  the  start  of  life  for 
the  embryo  is  in  the  germ  or  cicatricula.  There  is  a 
legend  of  Columbus,  that  he  challenged  the  courtiers 
to  make  an  egg  stand  on  end.  Each  one  tried,  and 
all  failed.  He  took  the  egg,  gave  it  a  smart  tap  at 
one  end,  thus  flattening  the  shell,  and  the  thing  was 
done.  It  was  at  best  a  trick.  Had  Columbus  been 
asked  why  an  egg  cannot  stand  on  end,  but  must  lie 
on  its  side,  perhaps  that  great  man  would  have  met 
his  match.  The  movement  of  the  little  hammock,  and 
its  incessant  effort  to  swing  the  germ  to  the  upper  side 
so  to  get  for  it  the  steady  heat  of  the  incubating  bird, 
tells  the  story. 

Consequent  on  the  heat  imparted  to  the  egg  by  the 
sitting  bird,  the  germ  spot  is  affected.  Certain  molecu- 
lar movements  take  place,  and  the  phenomena  of 


HIDDEN    MEANINGS.  127 

segmentation  set  in.  Leaving  this  technical  word  to  be 
explained  further  on,  it  will  suffice  here  to  say  that 
in  brief  it  means  cell-making,  as  all  life  forms  are 
made  up  of  these,  which  are  the  living  bricks  in  the 
coming  structure.  This  cell-making  occurs  in  the 
white,  or  albumen,  the  yellow  being  reserved  as 
the  pabulum  of  the  embryo. 

This  cell-making  begun,  the  energy  is  pushed 
throughout  the  white  mass;  and  what  is  called  differen- 
tiation is  now  fairly  started,  —  the  going  of  these  cells 
into  their  proper  places,  the  laying  of  the  living  bricks 
in  the  edifice.  Soon  this  yellow  ball,  the  yolk,  on  its 
outside  will  become  streaked  with  crimson  thread-like 
lines.  These  are  the  primitive  veins  or  blood-vessels 
of  the  forming  structure. 

Now  that  these  carriers  of  the  purple  life-currents 
are  laid  down  in  wise  adjustment,  the  work  goes 
bravely  on.  At  first  nuclei  can  be  observed,  specks  of 
matter,  resembling  nothing  else  feeding  on  that  golden 
lump  of  life-stuff.  Around  these  specks  enlargement 
like  growth  sets  in. 

The  mystery  in  the  laboratory  thickens.  It  is  now 
plain  that  the  elaboration  of  a  living  thing  is  going 
on.  The  fact  becomes  apparent  that  these  nucleous 
spots  are  the  beginnings  of  the  organs  of  the  fast- 
forming  structure.  Erelong  certain  elongations  of  the 
differentiated  matter  become  noticeable  ;  and  these  are 
the  limbs  of  the  little  creature,  the  rafters  of  the  frame 
that  is  getting  built  up  under  our  eyes. 

But  time  is  wanted  to  follow  this  constructing  further. 
The  growth  of  the  embryo  now  is  very  rapid,  and 


128  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

soon  both  the  material  supplies  of  the  building, 
namely,  the  albumen  and  the  yolk,  are  all  used  up. 
When  all  resources  are  consumed,  the  embryo,  with 
the  sharp  little  scale  on  the  tip  of  its  bill,  cuts  off 
the  top  of  the  shell,  and  emerges  a  callow  but  com- 
plete bird. 

The  Lesson  in  the  Egg. 

And  what  is  a  bird?  Looked  at  in  respect  to  its 
place  in  a  system  of  classification,  it  is  the  highest 
member  of  a  group  which  includes  in  it  the  classes 
known  as  the  birds,  the  reptiles,  and  the  amphibia. 
Hence  structurally  it  is  related  to  the  lizards  and  the 
frogs ;  but  it,  the  bird,  is  at  the  top.  It  is  the  finish 
of  that  group  of  living  creatures. 

I  have  not  room  in  which  to  give  the  entire  diary 
of  the  embryonic  life  of  a  bird;  hence  the  briefest 
sketch  of  only  a  few  days  must  suffice. 

By  the  close  of  the  first  full  day  a  tiny  tube  is 
laid  down,  about  one  twelfth  of  an  inch  in  length. 
In  this  is  the  spinal  cord.  Second  day,  the  tube 
begins  to  divide  into  short  equal  lengths.  This  is 
to  be  the  vertebral  column.  The  third  day  shows 
the  rudimentary  heart,  which  even  pulsates.  Ere 
the  fourth  day  closes  the  circulatory  system  is  well 
forward,  as  the  veins  are  distinctly  apparent.  Fifth 
day,  the  limbs  are  fairly  started.  Sixth  day,  the 
heart  receives  its  sac,  or  casket.  By  the  close  of  the 
seventh  day  the  alimentary  system  is  begun. 

But    the  growth  of  the   embryo    has    been    followed 


HIDDEN  MEANINGS.  129 

far  enough  for  our  purpose.  We  have  thus  seen  the 
foundations  of  the  structure  laid,  and  its  framework 
and  rafters  set  up.  At  this  period  the  embryo  shows 
some  movement  in  the  shell.  The  lower  stages  and 
forms  are  fast  disappearing;  for  the  chick  is  coming 
into  view. 

In  this  short  period  these  few,  namely,  twenty-one 
days'  hatching  of  an  egg  into  a  bird,  the  embryologist 
can  note  in  condensed  outline  the  brief  of  the  Bird- 
maker's  scheme  of  structure  for  that  great  section 
of  life,  in  the  plan  of  which  was  to  be  evolved  first 
the  frogs  or  amphibians,  next  the  lizards  or  reptiles, 
and  last  the  finish,  namely,  the  birds.  For,  as  a 
great  naturalist  observed,  we  may  see  in  the  embryo 
"  a  picture,  more  or  less  obscured,  of  the  progenitor  of 
all  the  members  of  the  same  great  class."  When 
that  yolk  began  its  short  but  rapid  course  of  develop- 
ing into  an  animal  form,  almost  its  earliest  object 
indicated  something  of  the  frog ;  further  on,  something 
of  the  lizard ;  and  lastly  the  bird,  whose  bony  structure 
also  when  analyzed  shows  characteristics  of  all  three 
sections  of  its  class. 

Having  gained  this  knowledge  of  the  inner  mean- 
ing of  animal  structure,  we  can  take  up  with  greater 
profit  the  biography  of  these  seemingly  eccentric 
creatures,  of  which  so  much  mention  has  been  already 
made. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


ECCENTRIC    ANIMALS. 

Y  general  agreement  men  will  assign  the  same 
name  to  each  one  in  a  number  of  objects  which 
possess  marked  similarities.  Hence  all  are  in 
accord  as  to  the  animal  meant  by  the  word  bear. 
But  though  all  bears  have  a  general  likeness,  they  do 
differ  in  some  particulars;  and  we  find  by  common 
consent  these  differences,  expressed  by  prefixing  a 
qualifying  word.  Hence  come  such  terms  as  black 
bear,  brown  bear,  cinnamon  bear,  grizzly  bear,  etc. 
Thus,  though  it  hardly  seems  grammatical,  we  may 
call  these  double  names,  the  first  the  noun-name, 
which  belongs  to  them  all  alike,  and  the  second  the 
adjective-name,  which  denotes  the  particular  kind  of 
bear. 

It  is  so  in  the  scientific  naming  of  animals.  The 
first  name,  always  written  with  a  capital  letter,  is  a 
noun,  and  denotes  the  genus,  —  hence  it  is  known  as 
the  generic  name;  the  second  name,  usually  with- 
out a  capital,  designates  the  species,  and  is  called  the 
specific  or  trivial  name.  Take  the  systematic  desig- 
nation of  the  "  Grizzly,"  —  Ursus  horribilis,  literally  the 
terrible  bear. 

130 


ECCENTRIC  ANIMALS.  131 

The  little  creature  on  which  we  dwelt  so  long 
was  named  by  Dr.  Shaw  Platypus  anatinus.  The 
generic  name  meaning  broad-footed ;  for  when  the  web 
is  extended  for  swimming,  each  of  the  front  feet  has 
a  spread  of  over  four  inches  in  width.  The  trivial 
name,  meaning  duck-like,  has  regard  to  the  form  of 
the  bill.  The  accepted  name  among  naturalists  now 
is  Ornithorhyncus  anatinus,  the  first  word  meaning 
bird-bill.  The  native  names  are  Mullungong  and 
Tambreet,  about  which,  knowing  nothing,  I  will 
observe  a  discreet  silence.  The  whites  call  it  Duck- 
mole  and  Water-mole ;  but  Platypus  is  the  name 
common  to  the  books. 

Its  curious  beak,  so  very  like  that  of  a  duck,  is 
always  the  specially  eccentric  feature  which  arrests  the 
attention  of  the  one  who  sees  this  creature  for  the 
first  time.  It  was  so  when  the  earliest  specimens  were 
received  in  England.  Many  surprising  statements  had 
been  made  concerning  the  plants  and  the  animals  of 
that  strange  country,  by  which  extravagant  expectations 
of  curious  things  were  excited.  But  at  first  sight  of 
this  paradoxical  creature  credence  was  put  to  a  severe 
strain.  "  Was  it  a  freak  of  nature,  —  a  nondescript,  - 
or  was  it  not  more  likely  a  fraud  out  and  out  ?  What ! 
a  beast  and  a  bird  in  one!  That  is  too  much!  The 
tiling  is  surely  a  hoax,  put  together  as  a  Chinaman 
does  his  mermaids."  So  talked  the  wiseacres.  And 
even  the  sober  naturalists  were  at  first  perplexed, 
doubting  among  themselves  whether  it  might  not  be 
meant  for  a  joke  at  their  expense. 

The    first    specimens    sent    to    the    mother    country 


132  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

were  little  else  than  skins,  at  best  rudely  stuffed. 
After  a  while  the  animal  entire,  preserved  in  spirits, 
gave  opportunity  for  studying  the  creature.  Dr.  Shaw, 
an  English  naturalist,  accepted  the  object  as  a  genuine 
production  of  nature.  He  was  its  first  describer,  and 
expressed  his  astonishment  in  these  words :  "  Of  all 
the  mammalia  yet  known,  it  seems  the  most  extraor- 
dinary in  its  conformation,  exhibiting  the  perfect  re- 
semblance to  the  beak  of  a  duck  engrafted  on  the 
head  of  a  quadruped." 

Habits  of  the  Platypus. 

Unfortunately  for  naturalists,  the  native  black  of 
Australia  is  a  being  of  very  low  intelligence,  even 
inferior  to  the  lowest  African.  Hence,  excepting  the 
kangaroo,  and  those  creatures  which  as  game  form 
largely  the  subsistence  of  the  native,  and  exercise  his 
best  skill  in  their  pursuit  and  capture,  his  knowledge 
of  the  habits  of  the  native  animals  is  surprisingly 
meager.  But  though  his  woodcraft  is  limited,  he 
will  tell  tall  stories  in  the  hope  of  remuneration,  —  a 
kind  of  mendacity  not  considered  immoral  among 
savages.  Still,  as  a  guide  to  the  haunts  of  the  platypus, 
the  shrewdness  and  docility  of  the  native  make  his 
services  invaluable.  What  we  really  know  of  this  little 
beast  has  been  almost  entirely  obtained  by  the  whites ; 
and  the  most  trustworthy  information  has  been 
procured  by  the  specially  directed  efforts  of  interested 
naturalists. 

As  this  curious  creature  is  a  burrower,  and   leads  a 


ECCENTRIC  ANIMALS.  133 

semi-aquatic  life,  it  is  well  called  the  Water-mole. 
For  its  home  it  selects  the  bank  of  a  river  away 
from  the  sea.  In  this  bank,  on  its  steep  side,  and 
usually  a  little  below  the  water-mark  of  the  pond  or 
stream,  it  begins  its  burrow.  The  passage  made  is 
rather  irregular,  with  a  sloping  ascent,  until  perhaps 
a  distance  of  twenty-five  feet  is  reached,  when  a 
chamber  is  excavated.  This  is  really  the  living-room, 
and  is  fixed  at  a  point  above  the  reach  of  any  freshet 
or  unusual  rise  of  the  stream.  This  nesting-place  is 
about  two  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  ground.  It 
must  have  an  opening  for  the  air,  and  for  communica- 
tion on  the  land.  So  another  burrow  is  constructed, 
connecting  this  part  with  an  outlet  above,  which  open- 
ing may  be  fifteen  or  twenty-five  feet  distant  from  the 
chamber. 

In  tunneling  the  animal  works  very  hard,  as  it 
has  stones  or  roots  or  both  to  encounter,  which  must 
be  removed,  or  the  tunnel  worked  round  the  obstacle. 
It  is  said  that  two  feet  will  be  tunneled  in  ten 
minutes.  At  intervals  is  a  small  expansion  on  one  side 
of  the  burrow.  It  is  thought  that  these  denote  stages 
of  the  work  of  burrowing,  and  serve  for  resting-stages 
to  the  tired  worker.  It  seems  to  me  these  places  are 
intended  for  a  permanent  use,  as  turn-outs,  like  what 
we  observe  in  narrow  country  roads.  Suppose  a 
platypus  going  out  and  another  one  coming  in,  they 
could  not  pass  each  other  unless  one  occupied  a  cavity, 
and  so  let  the  other  proceed.  For  precaution  the 
entrance  below  the  water  is  but  about  five  inches  wide, 
some  say  less.  At  any  rate,  it  is  but  sufficient  to  let 
the  animal  squeeze  through. 


134  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

Respecting  the  living  chamber,  trustworthy  descrip- 
tions of  its  size  do  not  agree  with  the  pictures  in 
the  books.  It  surely  must  be  a  pretty  crowded  domi- 
cile for  the  father  and  mother  Platypus,  when  their 
two  youngsters  are  grown  up.  As  to  that  air-hole, 
or  outlet  on  the  land,  it  is  often  betrayed  by  the  run- 
ways made  when  they  are  out  at  night. 

Hardly  anything  is  known  of  their  land  habits. 
Their  clumsiness  forbids  any  conjecture  of  much  play. 
Doubtless  food  is  the  object,  and  it  is  not  improbable 
that  these  night  ventures  have  to  do  with  a  special 
quest  for  caterpillars  and  earth-worms,  beetles,  and 
snails.  Though  on  the  land  the  Duck-bill  is  anything 
else  than  nimble  or  graceful,  in  the  water  it  shows 
to  advantage,  its  agility  and  speed  being  surprising, 
for  it  can  almost  vie  with  a  fish. 

Adapted  to  an  aquatic  life,  the  fur  of  Platypus  has 
some  interesting  peculiarities.  "  Two  kinds  of  hair 
are  noticeable  in  the  pelt,  one  extremely  fine  and 
close-set,  forming  the  dense  under  fur ;  and  this  is 
protected  from  the  water  and  the  soil  by  an  outer 
coating  of  coarse  flat  hairs."  I  remember  how  inter- 
ested I  was  when  this  peculiar  feature  first  came  under 
my  notice.  Even  if  I  should  strain  a  figure,  let  me 
try  to  make  this  matter  of  the  two  kinds  of  fur 
plain. 

You  can  easily  understand  the  hair  of  an  otter, 
short  and  fine,  close-set,  and  the  points  directed  towards 
the  tail.  So  conceive  the  fine  fur  of  Platypus.  Now 
imagine  as  mixed  in  this  short  hair  a  much  longer 
kind,  each  hair  of  which  having  the  shape  of  an 


ECCENTRIC   ANIMALS. 


135 


oar,  but  each  oar  bent  at  the  neck,  that  is,  deflected 
at  an  angle,  and  the  flat  blade  of  every  one  of  these 
tiny  oars  lying  upon  the  soft  fine  fur,  shedding  off 
water  or  soil.  Each  one  of  these  long  hairs  in  the 
fur  on  the  body,  —  for  there  are  none  of  these  on 
the  tail,  —  is  in  the  shape  of  a  tiny  oar,  crooked  or 
elbowed  at  the  neck  or  shank. 

A  freshly  shot  water-mole  usually  shows  in  its  cheek- 
pouches  the  presence  of  "fresh-water  shrimps,  water- 
fleas,  and  beetles."  The  animal  gets  its  food  chiefly 
in  the  bed  of  the  stream,  and  is  able  to  stay  under 
the  water  as  much  as  five  or  six  minutes,  so  it  is 
stated.  This  faculty  is  in  keeping  with  a  semi-rep- 
tilian  nature,  for  it  certainly  seems  a  long  time  for 
an  air-breathing  mammal.  In  diving  the  head  is 
brought  under  the  chest  with  a  quick  jerk,  the  front 
paws  paddle  rapidly,  and  "  the  tail  moves  from  side 
to  side  as  a  rudder."  They  root  in  the  sand  or 
mud,  and  turn  over  the  small  stones  at  the  bottom 
with  their  powerful  bills.  Whatever  is  caught  is 
stored  in  the  cheek-pouches.  "  They  then  rise  to  the 
surface,  and  before  swallowing  their  food  triturate  it 
with  a  slight  lateral  movement  of  the  jaws." 

Mr.  A.  B.  Growth er  kept  a  young  one  alive  three 
months,  which  ate  minced  fish,  but  devoured  earth- 
worms greedily.  This  would  indicate  that  such  forms 
a  favorite  part  of  their  food;  hence  our  conjecture  that 
these  are  sought  on  land  in  the  warm  nights,  when 
the  worms  come  to  the  surface.  For  this  work,  as 
well  as  for  getting  their  food  at  the  bottom  of  a 
river  or  pond,  the  equipment  of  the  strong  bill  is 


136  ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

admirable.  The  naked  skin  covering  both  jaws  is 
very  sensitive,  and  projects  all  around  the  mouth 
like  a "  flexible  lip,"  or  border,  while  at  the  base  of 
the  bill  it  expands  into  a  frill.  When  its  owner  is 
burrowing  for  worms,  or  any  food,  it  turns  this  frill 
backwards  "  so  as  to  protect  the  eyes,  and  prevent 
the  soiling  of  the  fur." 

Hunting  the  Platypus. 

Arthur  Nicols,  an  English  naturalist,  went  to  some 
trouble  to  solve  the  history  of  this  provokingly  shy 
little  beast.  Though,  as  I  have  hinted,  not  much  on 
woodcraft,  where  the  habits  of  animals  are  concerned, 
the  black  Australian  is  of  excellent  service.  The  hunter 
must  camp  out  at  night,  when  his  guide  is  invaluable. 
"  In  the  intervals  of  profound  sleep  he  is  roused  like 
a  wild  animal  by  the  slightest  noise.  I  have  passed 
many  nights  in  native  camps,  but  I  never  heard  the 
heavy  breathing  which  characterizes  the  larger-brained 
European.  These  children  of  the  forest,  so  long  as 
they  are  unsophisticated  by  rum  and  gin,  are  to 
be  seen  in  all  the  integrity  of  savage  life;  and 
they  remind  me  forcibly  of  animals  in  their  noise- 
less, cautious  movements  when  awake,  and  the  light- 
ness of  their  sleep." 

So  Mr.  Nicols  secures  for  his  guide  a  "genuine 
Culgoa  River  aborigine";  and  with  a  determination 
to  see  the  animal  in  its  haunts,  sets  out  for  a  place 
on  the  Culgoa  River,  reputed  to  be  a  favorite  resort 
of  the  platypus.  After  a  journey  of  miles  through  a 


ECCENTRIC  ANIMALS.  137 

region  that  had  not  yet  heard  the  woodman's  ax, 
the  place  was  reached.  A  fine  patch  of  high  ferns 
fringed  the  bank  like  a  meadow.  They  moved  slowly 
and  cautiously  along,  when  a  keen-eyed  heron  gave 
a  scream.  This  would  never  do!  for  taking  the  alarm, 
no  water-mole  would  show  itself.  So  they  both  stood 
stock-still,  until  all  was  quiet  again.  Then  for  two 
hundred  yards  they  crept  on  their  faces  toward  the 
water's  brink. 

They  were  now  in  a  dense  thicket  of  ferns  by  the 
river.  Still  the  hunter's  white  face  might  be  discerned, 
whereas  that  of  the  black  could  be  taken  for  any  dark 
object.  So  the  white  man  made  a  little  sheaf  of  ferns, 
which  he  stuck  on  his  head,  thus  covering  his  face. 
Then  he  lay  upon  his  chest,  looking  between  the  fronds 
at  the  water,  his  gun  held  in  position. 

The  scientist  was  nearly  ravished  with  the  scene 
before  him,  and  became  seized  with  the  emotions  of 
a  poet.  The  sun  was  near  to  setting,  and  his  yellow 
light  gilded  the  bosom  of  the  stream,  partly  covered 
with  the  grand  Nelumbium,  each  leaf  more  than  a  foot 
across,  and  rising  over  them  in  mimicry  of  pearly 
bosses  upon  emerald  shields  shone  the  elegant  pink 
lotus-like  flowers.  The  dense  entangling  scrub  behind 
them  was  spangled  with  the  gay  exuberance  of  acacias, 
and  other  floral  beauties,  and  the  hot  air  laden  with 
their  perfumes. 

To  the  hunter,  watchfulness,  patience,  and  silence  are 
golden  virtues.  Here  was  danger  of  a  somnific  influence 
upon  the  naturalist.  There  was  none  of  this  imagi- 
nation in  his  simple  guide.  He  meant  business.  Says- 


138  ANIMAL   MEMOIRS. 

the  master :  "  His  steady  gaze  remained  fixed  upon  the 
bright  face  of  the  slow  moving  river,  watching,  with 
all  the  patience  of  his  race,  for  the  first  movement 
on  that  placid  sheet  of  water  which  should  tell  him 
that  a  platypus  had  come  out  of  its  burrow  to  play 
with  its  fellows  in  the  twilight." 

Despite  the  enchantment  of  the  scene,  the  hunter's 
position,  lying  on  his  chest,  with  uplifted  head,  and 
the  strain  of  the  gun,  were  becoming  irksome,  when 
the  black  guide,  without  turning  his  face  or  speaking 
a  word,  touched  him.  That  touch  meant,  —  "  See !  " 

There  was  a  circular  ripple  near  the  Nelumbium 
leaves,  and  in  another  moment  a  platypus  was  crawl- 
ing across  them  in  full  view,  but  too  far  away  for 
a  certain  shot.  He  remained  for  a  few  seconds,  now 
upon  the  leaves,  now  diving  in  and  out  among  them, 
with  the  ease  and  rapidity  of  an  otter.  Then  it 
suddenly  disappeared.  Breathless  with  anticipation  I 
scanned  the  water  in  every  direction,  but  for  some 
time  not  a  ripple  disturbed  it. 

"This,  however,  was  not  to  last  long.  Close  under 
the  bank,  within  ten  yards  of  our  position,  he,  or 
rather  they,  —  for  there  were  two  now,  —  rose  to  the 
surface,  and  began  playing  together,  and  performing 
graceful  evolutions,  by  'rolling  over  and  over  each 
other,  showing  every  part  of  the  body  in  turn,  and 
sometimes  almost  leaping  out  of  the  water  with  an 
agility  in  surprising  contrast  to  their  slow  motions 
on  land. 

"  Interesting  as  this  was,  the  waning  light  of  the 
sun  forbade  the  risk  of  losing  a  shot ;  and  the  ani- 


ECCENTRIC    ANIMALS.  139 

mals  had  gone  some  distance  farther  off.  Accordingly 
I  raised  the  muzzle  of  my  gun  slightly,  and  fired,  in 
the  hope  of  securing  both.  The  black  fellow  dashed 
into  the  water,  and  brought  out  a  fine  male  platypus, 
severely  wounded,  but  still  able  to  make  vigorous 
efforts  to  escape ;  while  nothing  more  was  seen  of  its 
companion." 

I  have  described  the  spurs  on  the  hind  limbs  of  the 
male  Platypus,  in  some  respects  like  the  same  in  the 
male  barnyard  fowl.  Opinion  is  so  contradictory  about 
them,  that  it  is  hard  to  assert  their  function.  Each 
spur  has  a  groove,  and  this  is  connected  with  a  gland, 
which  supplies  a  sort  of  toxic  fluid;  thus  it  seems 
really  a  formidable  affair.  Yet  these  animals  when 
captured  alive  make  at  best  but  a  feeble  use  of  the. 
weapon  in  defense.  From  the  fact  that  a  water-mole 
is  occasionally  caught,  with  ugly  ulcers  on  its  body, 
it  may  be  that  these  appendages  serve  offensive  pur- 
poses in  their  quarrels,  or  in  administering  discipline 
in  the  family. 

But  to  the  imagination  of  the  aborigine  the  spur 
of  the  Mullungong  bears  a  mysterious  malevolence.  It 
affects  him  with  abject  terror ;  hence  the  excitement 
of  the  native  guide  at  seeing  the  impunity  with  which 
the  hunter  handled  the  resisting  captive  was  pitiful. 
However,  no  harm  came  of  it.  The  sun  was  now 
down,  and  as  they  must  stay  in  that  spot  for  the 
night,  the  native  made  a  fire,  while  Mr.  Nicols  skinned 
his  trophy.  The  cadaver  was  cooked,  and  some  tea 
was  brewed ;  and  the  roasted  Duck-mole  was  pronounced 
good. 


140  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

Before  sunrise  they  were  at  their  post  among  the 
ferns  again.  After  long  waiting  one  animal  at  last 
appeared.  It  was  a  fine  female,  and  was  shot.  To  the 
wrhite  man's  eye  it  was  lost.  But  the  savage  plunged 
in  and  swam  about,  and  found  the  game  where  his 
master  would  never  think  to  look.  In  fact,  it  was 
retrieved  with  a  sagacity,  call  it  reason  or  instinct, 
or  both,  not  greatly  unlike  the  action  of  a  well-trained 
dog. 

They  next  set  about  searching  for  the  burrows  of 
these  animals.  Five  were  found,  and  marks  set  up 
by  which  the  places  could  be  recognized,  the  naturalist 
fully  intending  to  return  with  the  proper  force  and 
appliances  for  a  thorough  examination  of  them.  It 
proved,  however,  as  with  many  another  good  resolution 
made  by  men  when  blessed  with  a  fine  opportunity, 
that  the  scientist  never  saw  the  place  again. 

Platypus  in  Captivity. 

Our  earliest  knowledge  of  the  young  Platypus  in 
captivity  is  from  Dr.  Bennett,  who  kept  two  little  ones 
with  their  mother  alive  for  more  than  a  month. 
"  During  the  day  she  would  remain  quiet,  huddled  up, 
with  her  young  ones;  but  at  night  she  became  very 
restless,  and  eager  to  escape.  The  little  ones  were  as 
frolicksome  as  puppies,  and  apparently  as  fond  of 
play.  Many  of  their  actions  were  not  a  little  ludi- 
crous. During  the  day  they  seemed  to  prefer  a 
dark  corner  for  repose,  and  generally  resorted  to  the 
spot  to  which  they  had  been  accustomed,  although 


ECCENTRIC  ANIMALS.  141 

they  would  change  it  on  a  sudden,  apparently  from 
mere  caprice.  They  did  not  seem  to  like  deep  water, 
but  enjoyed  exceedingly  a  bath  in  shallow  water, 
with  a  turf  of  grass  placed  in  one  corner  of  the 
pan.  They  seldom  remained  more  than  ten  or  fifteen 
minutes  in  the  water  at  one  time. 

"  Though  apparently  nocturnal,  or  at  least  preferring 
the  cool  and  dusky  evening  to  the  glare  and  heat 
of  noon,  their  movements  in  this  respect  were  so 
irregular  as  to  furnish  no  grounds  for  a  definite 
conclusion.  They  .slept  much,  and  it  frequently  hap- 
pened that  one  slept  while  the  other  was  running 
about,  and  this  occurred  at  almost  all  periods  of  the 
day.  They  climbed  with  readiness  to  the  summit 
of  a  bookcase,  by  means  of  their  strong  cutaneous 
muscles  and  their  claws,  mounting  with  much  expe- 
dition to  the  top.  •  Their  food  consisted  of  bread 
soaked  in  water,  chopped  boiled  eggs,  and  meat  minced 
very  fine ;  and  they  did  not  seem  to  prefer  milk 
to  water." 

But  a  little  more  than  a  month  of  confinement, 
and  all  these  "feeble  folk"  had  died.  Thus  as  pets  they 
are  of  small  account.  However,  Mr.  Crowther  was 
somewhat  more  successful,  he  having  succeeded  in 
keeping  one  of  a  family  alive  for  three  months. 
He  says : 

"  They  soon  became  very  tame  in  captivity.  In  a 
few  days  the  young  ones  appeared  to  recognize  a  call, 
swimming  rapidly  to  my  hand,  if  I  paddled  the 
water.  And  it  is  curious  to  see  their  attempts  to 
procure  a  worm  enclosed  in  the  hand,  which  they 


. 
142  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

greedily  take  when  offered  to  them.  I  have  noticed 
that  they  appear  to  be  able  to  smell  whether  or  not 
a  worm  is  contained  in  the  closed  hand,  to  which 
they  swim;  for  they  would  desist  from  their  efforts  if 
an  empty  fist  were  offered.  Although  so  tame,  they 
refuse  to  permit  any  handling,  especially  any  touch- 
ing of  the  bill  or  tail ;  not  so,  however,  with  the  side, 
which  they  appear  to  like  to  have  scratched,  turning 
over  and  coming  back  several  times  to  have  the 
operation  repeated. 

"The  young  ones  I  could  safely  permit  to  run 
about  the  room;  but  the  old  one  scratched  so  inces- 
santly at  the  wall,  that  I  had  to  shut  her  up.  Then 
it  lay  quietly  throughout  the  day,  but  on  the  approach 
of  night  it  renewed  its  struggles  for  freedom.  If  I 
startled  the  animals  from  their  sleep,  it  invariably 
produced  a  general  growling  or  murmuring." 

As  stated  already,  the  Duck-mole  and  the  Porcupine 
Anteater  make  up  the  order  Monotremata,  because  of 
a  bird-like  physiology  possessed  by  these  animals. 
Before  completing  what  is  to  be  said  on  Platypus,  a 
few  words  should  be  given  to  the  allied  genus, 
the  Australian  Porcupine. 

The  Echidna  hystrix,  or  Porcupine  Anteater,  as  its 
name  implies,  is  clad  above  with  sharp  spines,  though 
it  has  hair  between  them;  and  Tasmania  has  a  species 
with  the  hair  so  long  as  to  conceal  the  spines.  The 
Echidna  is  a  burrower,  and  is  restricted  to  the  land. 
It  has  in  its  skeleton  a  good  deal  in  common  with 
Platypus,  but  in  external  aspect  it  differs  greatly  from 
the  Water-mole.  The  bill  is  long,  narrow,  and  tooth- 


ECCENTRIC  ANIMALS.  143 

less,  and  the  tongue  of  great  length,  and  extensile,  and 
covered  with  a  sticky  slime  by  which  it  captures  the 
ants.  It  is  also  unlike  the  Duck-mole,  in  not  having 
any  pouches  in  the  cheeks,  to  carry  food. 

But  like  the  Duck-mole,  the  male  Echidna  also  has 
those  singular  spurs  on  its  hind  feet.  Very  curiously, 
from  this  feature  it  got  its  strange  scientific  name. 
Believing  these  spurs  to  have  the  power  of  inflicting 
a  poisonous  wound,  Cuvier  gave  it  the  generic  name 
Ediidndj  which  is  a  Greek  word  meaning  a  viper,  while 
because  of  its  spines  lie  gave  it  the  specific  name 
hystric,  meaning  a  porcupine. 

Says  Dr.  Shaw,  when  writing  of  this  little  beast  in 
1792 :  "  It  is  also  a  most  striking  instance  of  that 
beautiful  gradation  so  frequently  seen  in  Nature,  by 
which  creatures  of  one  tribe  or  genus  approach  to 
others  of  a  very  different  one."  Leaving  out  the  tech- 
nical names,  he  adds :  "  It  forms  a  connecting  link 
between  the  very  distant  genera  of  the  porcupine  and 
the  anteater,  having  the  external  aspect  of  the  one, 
with  the  mouth,  and  peculiar  generic  characters  of  the 
other." 

My  readers  can  see,  from  what  we  have  learned  of 
the  inner  structure  of  the  Echidna,  that  it  is  not  in 
accord  with  present  knowledge  to  call  it  a  connecting 
link  as  above.  In  any  natural  arrangement  this 
animal  must  rank  far  below  the  true  porcupine,  which 
is  a  rodent,  and  even  below  the  true  anteater.  But 
we  are  approaching  a  strange  story  of  both  Platypus 

id  Echidna. 


CHAPTER    XII. 


MAMMALS    THAT   LAY   EGGS. 

|HIS  seems  a  contradiction  of  terms,  since  the 
very  meaning  of  the  word  mammal  is  an 
animal  that  suckles  its  young.  For  this 
reason  have  I  avoided  the  common  word  quadruped, 
which  simply  means  four-footed.  The  greatest  author 
on  natural  history  among  the  ancients  was  Aristotle 
the  Stagirite,  who  wrote  in  the  fourth  century  B.  C. 
His  third  division  of  living  things  was  the  "  four-footed 
egg-laying  animals,"  meaning  by  these  the  frogs, 
lizards,  and  turtles,  or  what  we  should  call  the 
Amphibia  and  Reptilia,  which  being  four-footed  are 
really  quadrupeds. 

In  respect  to  the  Duck-mole,  it  was  the  prevail- 
ing conception  among  the  Australian  settlers  that  the 
animal  was  a  sort  of  four-legged  bird.  And  in  scien- 
tific circles  it  was  long  ago  considered  proven  that 
the  creature  laid  eggs.  However,  this  did  not  hold 
its  ground  long,  it  being  on  sober  second  thought 
regarded  impossible  for  a  mammal  to  act  so  like  a 
bird.  As  the  case  is  very  interesting,  let  me  tell  the 
story  in  the  fewest  words  possible. 

144 


MAMMALS  THAT  LAY  EGGS.  145 

It  is  about  sixty  years  since  the  first  curious  eggs 
were  sent  to  England  from  Australia,  said  to  have 
been  laid  by  the  Duck-bill  Mole.  Some  of  these  were 
sent  to  Paris,  and  were  made  the  object  of  study 
by  the  famous  Geffroy  Saint-Hilaire,  who  in  1829 
communicated  a  memoir  on  the  subject  to  the  Royal 
Academy  of  Sciences  in  Paris.  Happily  his  description 
of  the  eggs  was  accompanied  with  a  drawing,  which 
was  engraved,  and  his  words  are  very  clear :  "  The  eggs 
are  remarkable  for  having  a  regular  oblong  spheroidal 
form.  The  ends  are  of  equal  width,  the  length  in 
English  If  inches  and  the  thickness  f  of  an  inch. 
The  shell  is  thin,  brittle,  slightly  transparent,  and  of  a 
dull  white  color." 

Many  a  bright  country  boy  or  girl  can  recognize  in 
the  above  a  description  suitable  to  the  eggs  of  several 
species  of  our  native  turtles ;  for  instance,  the  pretty 
"  Painted  Turtle,"  with  its  mingled  lines  of  yellow 
and  red,  known  to  science  as  Chrysemys  picta,  and 
found  almost  everywhere  east  of  the  Mississippi ;  and 
the  handsomer  "  Painted  Turtle  "  of  the  Southern  States, 
Trachemys  elegans,  with  its  gay  garniture  of  brilliant 
red,  like  inlaid  coral. 

One  would  suppose  that  the  communication  to  the 
Academy  should  have  settled  the  question.  Yet  for 
all  this  the  matter  seems  to  have  been  ignored,  and 
at  last  to  have  been  completely  forgotten. 

Interest  in  the  subject  was  revived  in  1883.  For 
many  years  the  scientists  of  the  Old  World  upbraided 
those  of  the  New  for  not  solving  the  history  of  the 
King-crab,  so  plentiful  on  our  shores.  It  became  in 


146  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

like  manner  among  us  the  general  sense  that  English 
scientists  ought  to  unravel  the  mystery  of  Platypus, 
a  common  animal  in  one  of  their  own  colonies.  This 
was  felt  by  the  savants  of  Great  Britain  to  be  in  no 
way  complimentary  to  them,  and  so  a  student  named 
W.  H.  Caldwell,  thoroughly  trained  in  the  modern 
methods  of  biology,  and  a  young  man  of  marked 
promise,  was  despatched  to  Australia  to  devote  himself 
to  this  problem. 

That  distinguished  body  of  scientific  men,  known 
as  the  British  Association  for  the  Advancement  of 
Science,  met  at  Montreal,  Canada,  in  August,  1884. 
While  there  assembled  the  savants  of  the  zoological 
section  of  the  Association  were  almost  startled  by  a 
cable  despatch  from  Australia.  It  read:  "  Caldwell  Jind* 
monotremes  oviparous;  ovum  meroblastic ! "  This  was 
indeed  interesting  intelligence.  It  settled  the  prob- 
lem,—  though  a  mammal,  Platypus  laid  eggs  as  does 
a  bird. 

In  that  message  were  two  words  of  special  import. 
The  word  oviparous,  meaning  "egg-laying,"  indicated 
the  bird  habit  of  Platypus.  But  the  profoundest  word 
in  the  despatch  was  the  curious  term  meroblastic.  This 
unusual  word  must  be  explained. 

Whether  it  be  a  plant  just  starting  in  the  seed,  or 
an  animal  just  beginning  in  the  egg,  the  earliest  effort 
of  the  life-force  always  is  to  make  cells  with  which  to 
build  the  structure  intended.  If  I  cut  a  quantity  of 
clay  up  into  large  segments,  each  of  these  can  be  cut 
through,  and  these  in  turn  cut  through  again,  and 
so  on,  as  often  as  I  choose;  and  in  the  process,  while 


MAMMALS  THAT  LAY  EGGS.  147 

the  segments  were  getting  smaller,  the  material  would 
assume  a  different  consistency.  So  with  the  life-stuff  in 
the  egg,  —  it  begins  by  dividing  into  segments,  these 
again  are  divided,  and  again  and  again,  until  the 
cell  of  normal  size  is  reached ;  and  then  the  forming 
of  the  embryo  begins. 

This  process  of  dividing  the  protoplasm,  or  life-stuff 
in  the  egg, — this  cell-making,  is  called  segmentation. 
There  are  two  well-recognized  differences  as  to  the 
extent  of  this  action  in  eggs  representing  different 
classes  of  animals.  Let  us  take  an  egg  of  a  frog  or 
a  toad,  which  represents  the  class  Amphibia.  We  find 
these  eggs  at  the  edges  of  still  water,  in  a  jelly-like 
substance.  The  toad  eggs  are  in  jelly  ropes,  and  the 
frog  eggs  in  lumps  or  masses  of  jelly.  The  study  of 
one  of  these  eggs  under  the  microscope  reveals  the 
fact,  that  at  the  start  of  incubation  its  entire  sub- 
stance is  divided  up  into  cells,  —  that  is,  it  is  wholly 
segmented.  The  embryologist  calls  such  eggs  holo- 
blastic,  meaning  that  their  segmentation  is  complete. 

The  next  higher  class  to  the  Amphibia  is  the 
Reptilia.  Here  we  meet  such  creatures  as  snakes, 
lizards,  and  turtles.  When  hatching,  the  life-stuff  in 
their  eggs  separates  into  two  distinct  portions.  The  life- 
force  works  only  in  one  of  these  parts,  —  hence  only 
one  part  of  the  egg  is  segmented,  or  made  into  cells; 
—  and  it  is  in  this  section  that  the  living  structure 
is  built  up.  What  about  the  other  part  of  the  egg? 
Why  is  not  that  segmented  ?  This  is  the  food  supply, 
and  as  such  is  slowly  absorbed,  or  taken  into  the  part 
which  is  being  organized  into  a  living  form.  Thus  the 


148  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

contents  of  the  egg  consists  of  two  masses,  one  of 
which  is  segmented  or  cut  up  into  cells.  This  is 
the  formative  part.  The  other  does  not  segment,  and 
is  the  nutritive  part.  Such  an  egg  is  said  to  be  mero- 
blastic,  that  is,  partially  segmentive. 

But  is  it  not  worth  our  while  to  master  these  two 
unusual  words,  holoblastic  and  meroblastic?  They 
are  both  made  from  the  Greek.  Take  the  first  one: 
its  first  half  is  from  a  word  meaning  "  whole "  or 
"entire,"  and  the  second  half  is  from  another  word 
meaning  a  "bud"  or  "beginning,"  because  the  cell  is 
the  beginning  of  a  living  form.  Hence  this  technical 
word  signifies  "  all-cell,"  that  is,  "  entirely  segmented." 
As  to  the  word  meroblast ;  mero  is  from  a  Greek 
word  meaning  "  partial "  or  "  in  part,"  hence  the  sense 
"  partially  segmented." 

When  discussing  the  skeleton  of  Platypus,  we 
observed  in  the  bony  structure  some  resemblances  to 
both  the  birds  and  the  reptiles.  We  now  see  that 
this  animal  has  the  bird-like  habit  of  laying  eggs, 
and  that  the  eggs  in  all  respects  resemble  those  of  the 
birds  and  reptiles  in  their  segmentation,  or  first  steps 
in  development. 

I  think  we  have  learned  by  this  time  that  the 
pedigree  of  animals  fixes  their  proper  place  in  classifi- 
cation. Platypus,  representing  the  monotremes,  has  its 
ancestry  in  some  reptilian-like  animal,  which  seems 
proven  by  the  nature  of  its  eggs.  It  is  interesting  to 
know  that  Professor  Cope  has  discovered  fossil  remains 
of  a  strange  reptilian,  or  mixed  form,  in  the  Permian 
rocks,  which  is  an  ancient  geologic  age.  It  would 


MAMMALS  THAT  LAY  EGGS.  149 

tire  you  to  read  in  detail  the  peculiarities  of  these 
fossil  bones;  but  the  remarkable  thing  is  they  have 
some  features  of  bony  structure  very  like  Platypus; 
and  this  savant  even  thinks  he  detects  the  singular 
spur  on  the  hind  limb.  Thus  it  may  be  that  the 
Duck-bill's  great-great,  —  yes  very  great  ancestor,  is 
among  those  strange  creatures;  and  its  eggs  of  so 
strict  a  reptilian  development  surely  gives  color  to 
this  supposition. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  of  the  embryo  Platypus,  that 
on  the  end  of  the  upper  bill  is  a  hard  scale,  like 
that  on  the  bill  of  the  chick,  just  hatched,  and  on 
some  of  the  embryo  reptiles.  Its  use  is  in  cutting 
round  the  inside  of  the  shell,  when  the  time  arrives 
for  "  coming  out "  into  bird  or  reptile  society.  Then  of 
course  it  drops  the  scale  as  being  too  much  of  a  baby 
badge. 

As  to  how  the  hatching  of  the  Platypus  is  done, 
and  how  long  it  takes,  nothing  is  positively  known. 
We  must,  however,  suppose  that  the  animal  sits  upon 
the  eggs  much  in  the  way  of  a  bird. 

And  now  comes  a  discovery  which  adds  another 
paradoxical  feature  to  the  animal.  A  recent  ex- 
amination of  a  Platypus  embryo  reveals  the  fact 
that  it  has  ten  true  teeth  of  bone  and  dentine, — 
three  on  each  side  of  the  upper  jaw  and  two  on 
each  side  of  the  lower  one ;  and  the  faces  of  the 
upper  teeth  have  cusps,  or  projections,  which  corre- 
spond to  certain  depressions  on  the  faces  of  the 
lower  teeth,  just  as  you  may  notice  in  the  molars 
of  swine.  Very  soon  the  tiny  thing  sheds  these 


150  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

true  mammalian  bony  teeth,  and  takes  into  its  duck- 
shaped  beak  that  which  marks  its  permanent,  or 
adult  state,  namely,  the  horny  ridges  which  character- 
ize the  bills  of  the  birds.  It  is  also  curious  that 
at  this  stage  of  the  little  one's  life  the  soft,  fine  fur 
is  missing,  and  the  only  hairs  it  has  are  the  long 
coarse  ones,  which  I  have  likened  to  little  oars. 

It  was  a  very  interesting  coincidence,  that  in  the 
same  month  when  this  matter  of  the  Duck-bill  Mole 
was  settled,  the  discovery  was  made  by  Dr.  William 
Haacke,  director  of  the  South  Australian  Museum  at 
Adelaide,  that  the  Echidna,  the  allied  genus,  also 
produced  eggs.  True,  the  two  animals  are  of  unequal 
size,  Platypus  being,  as  before  stated,  eighteen  inches 
in  length,  while  Echidna  is  but  twelve.  The  disparity 
in  the  size  of  the  eggs  is,  however,  much  greater,  for 
while  those  of  Platypus  are  more  than  an  inch  and 
a  half  long,  according  to  Saint-Hilaire's  figure,  the 
Echidna's  egg,  according  to  Dr.  Haacke,  is  not  quite 
half  this  length.  Compared  with  birds'  eggs,  the  one 
is  as  long  as  that  of  a  crow  and  the  other  as  that 
of  a  sparrow. 

The  Duck-bill,  as  shown  already,  prepares  a  nest, 
not  very  elaborate  to  be  sure,  yet  quite  as  much  so  as 
do  some  birds.  But  the  Porcupine  Anteater,  it  would 
seem,  makes  no  nest,  the  incubation  of  the  eggs  being 
arranged  for  in  an  ingenious  and  novel  way.  Though 
the  upper  part  of  the  body  is  covered  with  spines, 
the  lower  part  is  clad  in  warm  fur.  Here  are  two 
plaits  or  little  infoldings  of  the  skin  or  pelt,  and  in 
each,  as  in  a  tiny  pocket,  is  carried  one  of  the  eggs. 


MAMMALS  THAT  LAY  EGGS.  151 

The  eggs  of  the  Platypus,  as  with  the  Echidna, 
seem  limited  to  two  at  a  time.  In  their  underground 
home  these  interesting  creatures  live,  the  father  and 
mother,  and  the  two  little  ones.  Just  from  the  egg, 
each  is  a  smooth,  almost  shapeless  thing,  with  full 
need  of  the  warm,  nice  nest  of  dried  grass  and  leaves. 
Thus  housed  in  darkness,  and  even  avoiding  the  day, 
though  first  made  known  to  Europeans  in  1769,  this 
little  thing  has  kept  its  own  secrets  against  the  inquisi- 
tiveness  of  the  curious,  and  the  inquisition  of  science, 
for  over  a  hundred  years.  It  is  a  sleeper  by  day,  and 
its  best  activities  are  before  and  after  the  glare  of 
the  sunlight.  Though  its  eyes  are  small  and  very 
bright,  yet  its  home  is  in  absolute  darkness.  Light 
in  such  a  place  is  of  no  avail;  but  with  this  strange 
little  being,  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  sense  of  touch 
is  all  sufficient  for  its  enjoyment.  That  large,  curious 
flesh-covered  bill  is  supplied  along  its  edge  with  a 
wealth  of  nerves,  of  exquisite  sensitiveness.  What 
more  is  needed  for  the  parents  to  toy  with  their  little 
ones?  And  as  to  these  little  things  themselves,  this 
very  faculty  is  the  light  of  home  to  them :  their 
beaks  are  soft,  flexible,  and  highly  sensitive;  and, 
puppy-like,  they  are  full  of  this  fumbling  fun. 

Ere  the  sun  is  up  the  old  ones  are  off  to  the  water 
for  a  frolic  of  their  own,  and  then  a  food-hunt  in  the 
bod  of  the  river.  With  the  advance  of  the  sun  in 
the  sky  they  are  home  again,  the  little  ones  fed,  may 
be,  from  some  of  the  store  in  the  face-pouches.  This 
done,  the  old  ones  make  their  toilet,  and  that  of  their 
babies,  dressing  the  fur  like  a  cat,  combing  it  with 


152  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

their  five-clawed  feet,  and  smoothing  down  or  preening, 
bird-like,  with  the  soft  sensitive  beak.  But  as  it  is 
now  their  bed-time,  each  rolls  itself  almost  into  a 
ball,  curling  up  much  as  does  a  dog,  bringing  the 
warm,  furry  flat  tail  on  the  back.  So  their  home 
with  its  bed  or  nest  of  dry  grass,  though  dark  and 
cramped,  is  cosy  and  warm.  Thus  they  cuddle 
together  in  comfort  and  security.  Their  feeding-time, 
when  they  both  fish  and  frolic,  is  chiefly  in  the 
twilight  of  the  morning  and  the  evening.  A  part  of 
the  night  is  given  to  their  movements  on  the  land. 
This  choice  of  times  for  absence  from  home  comports 
with  the  shyness  and  general  timidity  of  the  creature. 
After  all  is  said,  there  is  not  much  material  for  a 
biography  of  Platypus.  As  for  the  stories  of  the 
natives,  they  can  rarely  be  accepted.  A  surgeon  in 
the  Royal  Navy  communicated  to  a  learned  society 
a  statement  he  had  received  from  the  chief  of  one 
of  the  tribes  in  Australia,  which  contained  scarcely 
a  word  of  truth,  and  yet  the  gravity  of  the  narrator 
covered  up  his  mendacity.  He  declared  it  was  a  fact 
well  known  to  their  tribe  that  the  Mullungoiig  laid 
two  eggs,  about  the  size,  shape,  and  color  of  those  of  a 
hen,  and  that  the  female  sits  a  long  time  on  her 
eggs,  in  a  nest  which  is  always  found  among  the 
reeds  on  the  surface  of  the  water.  The  boldness  and 
impossibility  of  the  chiefs  story  evoked  the  witty 
irony  of  Saint-Hilaire,  that  the  statement  "lacked 
nothing  either  for  information  or  truthfulness,"  —  a 
quaint  way  of  saying  that  the  story  of  the  chief  was 
not  worth  listening  to. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 


MARSUPIALIA. 

The  Cradle-bearers,  or  Kangaroos. 

N  a  former  chapter  allusion  was  made  to  an 
old  mansion  containing  relics  which  seemed  to 
mark  their  owners  as  descendants  from  an 
ancient  stock.  There  was  the  usual  pride  of  distin- 
guished ancestry.  But  Nature  is  no  respecter  of  persons. 
We  are  referred  far  back  to  our  progenitors,  who 
used  stone  implements  from  sheer  ignorance  of  iron. 
The  best  things  come  of  progress,  and  this  takes  time : 
and  herein  one  dictum  prevails,  —  the  first  shall  be  last 
and  the  last  shall  be  first.  The  earliest  mammals  were 
very  lowly  folk,  though  they  occupied  the  very  best 
places  of  the  earth  long  before  their  betters  saw  the 
light. 

There  was  a  time  in  the  long  ago  —  so  long,  in  truth, 
as  to  preclude  conjecture  —  when  the  earth  bloomed  as 
a  garden,  even  high  up  into  what  is  now  known  as 
the  Arctic  region.  The  Marsupials,  or  pouch-bearing 
animals,  were  the  only  mammals  existing  then.  In  the 
course  of  time  great  changes  came  about  on  the  face 
of  the  earth,  and  higher  animals  of  a  carnivorous 

153 


154  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

nature  appeared ;  when  slowly  but  surely  the  marsupials 
gave  way  before  them.  They  almost  wholly  disappeared. 
America  had  a  large  representation;  but  all  have 
gone,  except  her  opposums.  Australia  got  so  isolated 
as  to  be  left  out,  so  to  speak.  Thus  her  fauna  and 
flora  were  not  greatly  disturbed.  When  in  1770 
Captain  Cook,  the  navigator,  with  his  botanist  Sir 
Joseph  Banks  stepped  ashore,  so  astonished  was  the 
latter  at  the  richness  and  novelty  of  the  vegetation, 
that  the  name  Botany  Bay  was  given  to  the  place 
of  landing.  Though  he  did  not  know  it,  the  great 
seaman  had  alighted  on  a  separated  piece  of  a  former 
surface  of  this  world,  —  a  relic-land,  a  fossil  continent, 
its  occupants  being  the  ancient  forms  of  life  which 
had  become  extinct  elsewhere  on  the  earth. 

Every  one  knows  that  in  some  places  the  wild 
berries  constitute  at  their  short  season  the  harvest  of 
our  poor,  as  quantities  are  then  picked  for  market. 
I  once  saw  a  poor  woman  thus  engaged,  and  the  sight 
distressed  me.  She  carried  an  infant  under  her  left 
arm,  a  basket  in  her  left  hand,  and  stooping  low  to  the 
whortleberries  picked  them  with  her  right  hand. 
This  was  hard  toil !  I  thought  how  much  better 
would  this  thing  be  managed  by  a  woman  in  a 
nomadic  tribe  of  Indians.  With  nice  art  and  tender 
care  she  makes  a  long  pouch,  open  at  the  top,  to  be 
carried  on  her  back.  This  is  the  baby-basket,  into 
which  feet  first  the  child  is  slipped;  and  in  this 
portable  cradle,  with  comfort  to  her  babe  and  relief 
to  herself,  the  Indian  mother  keeps  up  in  her  journey 
with  the  tribe. 


MARSUPIALIA.  155 

In  Australia,  for  lack  of  food,  the  larger  animals 
are  forced  to  a  nomadic  life.  At  times  a  journey  of 
a  hundred  miles  must  be  made  to  find  new  feeding- 
grounds.  When  the  moving-time  comes,  what  about 
the  tender  young?  How  shall  they  be  carried  in 
such  a  trying  journey?  The  service  has  likeness  to 
that  of  the  Indian  mother,  for  the  mother  kangaroo  has 
a  cradle  in  which  her  little  one  is  carried.  But  let  us 
hear  what  that  distinguished  man,  Dr.  Owen,  says: 

"  I  have  always  connected  with  the  long  droughts 
in  Australia  the  singular  peculiarity  of  organization 
which  prevails  among  the  quadrupeds  of  that  land. 
All  these  creatures  are  marsupial.  I  may  be  asked, 
what  do  you  mean  by  marsupial?  I  mean  that  they 
are  creatures  having  the  power  of  carrying  their 
delicate  young  about  with  them  wherever  they  go. 
They  have  this  convenience,  namely,  a  soft,  warm,  well- 
lined  portable  pocket." 

Then  the  doctor  supposes  the  contrary  condition : 
"Take  the  case  of  one  of  our  wild  quadrupeds,  —  sup- 
pose a  fox  or  wild-cat :  they  make  a  nest  for  their  litter. 
Suppose  it  should  happen  that  they  must  travel  one 
or  two  hundred  miles  to  get  a  drink  of  water, 
impelled  by  the  peculiar  thirsty  condition  of  a 
nursing  mother,  but  obliged  to  leave  the  little  family 
at  home.  Where  would  that  family  be  when  the 
parent  returned  from  its  hundred-mile  journey?  The 
poor,  blind,  deserted  little  things!  Why,  starved  to 
death !  In  order  that  quadrupeds  should  be  fitted  to 
exist  in  a  great  continent  like  Australia,  where  these 
periodic  dearths  are  such  as  to  produce  the  dilemma 


156  ANIMAL  MEMOIES. 

I  have  instanced,  they  must  possess  an  organization 
suited  to  meet  such  peculiar  climatical  conditions. 
And  so  it  is;  that  form  of  mammalian  quadruped 
in  this  great  continent,  native  to  it,  and  born  so  as 
to  make  these  migrations  to  obtain  that  necessity  of 
life,  water,  has  the  superadded  pouch,  enabling  them 
to  carry  their  young  ones  wherever  they  go." 

It  is  the  need  of  pasture  as  well  as  water  which 
compels  the  kangaroos  in  a  time  of  drought  to  perform 
these  extraordinary  journeys.  And  their  long  hind 
limbs  make  these  great  journeys  possible.  But  the 
other  marsupials  are  not  under  such  a  necessity ;  nor 
would,  it  be  achievable  to  them.  Their  limbs  are 
not  adapted.  Some  are  no  larger  than  a  squirrel, 
and  nearly  all  live  in  the  jungles  and  the  forest.  To 
those  the  heavy  dew  of  the  night  is  sufficient  to  quench 
thirst,  as  it  drenches  vegetation.  And  even  the 
kangaroo  in  settled  regions,  where  agriculture  is 
practiced,  will  not  migrate,  but  will  steal  from  the 
sheep  at  night  the  cultivated  grass.  Hence  a  govern- 
ment bounty  encourages  their  destruction  in  the  settle- 
ments. 

Dr.  Owen  follows  the  beautiful  passage  we  have 
quoted  with  the  remark,  that  these  pouched  animals 
have  lived  in  Australia  a  long  time.  It  would  seem 
almost  correct  to  say,  they  have  always  lived  there,  — 
certainly  since  the  inexpressibly  long  ago ;  for  it  is 
an  interesting  fact,  that  bones  of  extinct  marsupials 
have  been  dug  up  there,  even  of  species  larger  in 
size  and  more  strange  in  form  than  any  living  to-day. 
A  skull  of  a  marsupial  was  thus  obtained  which  meas- 


MARSUPIALIA.  157 

ured  a  full  yard  in  length !  Compared  with  such  an 
animal  the  common  kangaroo,  the  largest  living  mar- 
supial, is  but  a  pygmy  beast. 

The  Large  Kangaroo. 

This  term  is  applied  to  the  common  kangaroo,  the 
one  best  known  for  its  size  and  wide  distribution  in 
Australia.  The  word  kangaroo  must  be  taken  as  a 
family  name,  for  it  embraces  quite  a  number  of  genera. 
Though  all  have  a  family  likeness,  yet  there  are  many 
differences  agreeing  with  differences  of  habit.  The 
Great  kangaroos  love  the  "  opens "  or  grass-lands, 
the  Wallabies  the  "  brush "  or  jungles.  Then  there 
are  the  Rock  -  kangaroos  and  the  Hare  -  kangaroos. 
This  last  is  somewhat  like  in  size  and  aspect  the 
animal  it  is  named  after.  Its  arms  are  very  small, 
but  its  hind  limbs  are  very  long  and  slim.  It  is  even 
said  to  be  the  fleetest  of  the  tribe,  being  able  to 
leap  over  a  palisade  ten  feet  high.  The  list  could  be 
extended  until  we  reached  the  Rat-kangaroos.  This 
last  species  will  weigh  from  two  pounds  and  upwards, 
while  the  Great-kangaroo  is  set  down  as  reaching  two 
hundred  pounds. 

The  systematic  name  of  the  Large-kangaroo  is 
Macropus  major,  meaning  literally  the  "  Greater  Big- 
foot";  or,  more  freely  rendered,  as  the  whole  tribe  is 
large-footed,  the  "  Biggest  Bigfoot "  of  them  all.  I  have 
mentioned  that  of  the  kangaroos  this  large  species, 
is  the  best  known,  as  but  for  that  the  Macropus 
laniger,  the  Woolly  or  Red-kangaroo,  might  dispute 


158  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

the  palm  for  size.  If  the  question  among  these 
"  Big-feet  "  should  be  as  to  "  the  noblest  Roman  of  them 
all,"  the  dispute  might  be  complicated,  as  it  is  written : 
"  There  are  already  known  upwards  of  eighty  species." 
Even  could  these  be  regarded  as  only  varieties,  the 
number  is  great;  for  the  kangaroos  make  but  one 
family  of  the  marsupials. 

The  fore-legs,  or  arms,  of  the  Kangaroo  are  short 
and  very  strong,  but  the  hind  limbs  are  of  great 
length;  and  set  to  a  degree  exceeding  that  in  other 
long-limbed  animals,  the  hind  limbs  of  Macropus  are 
endowed  with  prodigious  strength.  Those  who  have 
hunted  this  animal  make  conflicting  statements  as  to 
its  weight.  It  may  be  safely  averred  that  one  weigh- 
ing two  hundred  pounds  would  be  extraordinary,  and 
that  one  hundred  and  thirty  pounds  would  indicate  a 
large  animal. 

Now  let  us  imagine  such  a  one  at  its  best  speed 
bounding  through  the  air  in  an  almost  horizontal 
course,  a  little  undulating,  hence  bird-like,  for  the  move- 
ment is  composed  of  gentle  curves  resulting  from  leaps 
sometimes  exceeding  twenty  feet  in  length,  even  sur- 
mounting high  obstacles  in  the  way.  And  this  fleet- 
ness,  exceeding  that  of  the  race-horse,  is  attained  solely 
by  the  use  of  the  two  hind  limbs,  —  the  strong,  heavy 
tail  not  touching  the  ground,  hence  adding  nothing 
to  the  projectile  force,  its  only  possible  action  being 
that  of  balancer.  Every  leap  produces,  at  the  descent 
upon  the  ground,  a  tremendous  thud,  —  thus  a  "  mob  " 
in  motion,  as  the  settlers  would  say,  meaning  a  num- 
ber together,  would  make  a  union  of  sounds  not 
unlike  that  from  a  corps  of  muffled  drums. 


MARSUPIALIA.  159 

Every  leap  is  at  the  outlay  of  a  strain  on  the 
hind  limbs  much  greater  than  is  exercised  by  any 
running  animal,  for  the  Kangaroo  cannot  run.  In 
the  structure  of  these  wonderful  hind  limbs  are 
three  notable  factors,  which  make  possible  these 
tremendous  leaps  of  so  heavy  a  body. 

First,  the  heel-bone  is  remarkably  long.  This 
affords  a  great  lever  to  the  foot;  it  also  gives  a 
large  spread  of  surface  for  the  attachment  of  the 
rope  which  pulls  or  springs  this  lever  to  the  foot. 
Secondly,  this  rope  or  tendon,  which  corresponds  to 
the  tendon  Achilles  in  the  human  foot,  is  thick  and 
cable-like.  And,  thirdly,  the  leg-bones  are  not  spongy, 
or  coarsely  cellular,  but  dense  like  ivory, —  hence  are 
actually  small  for  the  work  to  be  done. 

The  above  considerations  relate  to  the  strength  of 
the  hind-limbs  for  leaping.  As  to  the  spot  of  re- 
sistance, or  rather  the  resting  of  the  toes  when 
the  spring  is  made,  there  is  a  great  difference  be- 
tween the  claws  of  the  fore-feet  and  those  of  the 
hind.  The  former  have  five  well-developed  nails. 
Not  so  the  hinder.  The  casual  observer  would  de- 
clare that  there  are  only  three  on  each  foot.  The 
truth  is,  that  the  two  inside  claws  are  nearly  con- 
cealed under  the  skin.  Now  when  a  leap  is  made 
there  is  an  outward  push  of  the  feet;  this  throws 
the  weight  or  resistance  mainly  on  the  two  outer 
toes  of  each  foot^  and  these  toes  have  an  enormous 
development. 

These  creatures  seem  devoid  of  any  vocal  utterance, 
though  they  do  much  in  the  way  of  signalling  by 


160  ANIMAL   MEMOIRS. 

the  thud  produced  by  stamping  on  the  ground. 
Brought  to  bay,  however,  they  will  show  fight.  The 
large  heavy  tail  will  sometimes  send  the  dog  rolling 
over,  and  the  middle  toe  of  the  three  described 
above  is  very  long  and  sharp.  If  the  animal  can 
get  his  back  to  a  tree,  when  the  dog  springs  at 
him,  he  has  been  knowrn,  sitting  on  his  haunches,  to 
catch  his  tormentor  with  his  strong  arms,  and,  hold- 
ing him  with  the  hands,  to  tear  the  poor  beast 
open  with  one  of  the  long  hinder  nails.  Sometimes 
the  creature,  when  the  opportunity  is  afforded,  will 
betake  itself  to  the  water.  Woe  to  the  dog  if  it 
has  the  temerity  to  attack  it  then !  for  sitting  or 
standing  on  its  hind  limbs,  as  the  depth  of  the 
water  may  determine,  it  will  catch  its  pursuer  with 
its  hands,  and  hold  it  under,  thus  drowning  it, 
unless  the  hunter  is  up  in  time,  when  a  shot  ter- 
minates the  contest  in  favor  of  the  dog. 

A  learned  writer  says  the  tail  of  the  Kangaroo 
is  not  employed  in  changing  its  course.  I  prefer 
to  take  the  statement  of  Mr.  Nicols,  the  naturalist, 
who  had  large  knowledge  of  the  animal  as  a  hunter. 
When  leaping  the  hands  are  kept  close  to  the  chest, 
and  the  hinder  toes  only  touch  the  ground.  But 
when  pursued,  before  long  the  first  speed,  which  is 
so  much  greater  than  that  of  the  dogs,  becomes 
spent.  The  dogs,  excelling  in  the  quality  of  endurance, 
will  come  up  writh  their  prey.  The  middle-aged  are 
the  fleetest.  It  is  when  the  dogs  are  near  that  an 
adult  Kangaroo  will  display  a  little  strategy,  for,  like 
a  hare,  he  will  double  on  the  run.  This,  says  a 


MARSUPIALIA.  161 

distinguished  author,  is  done  with  a  few  short  leaps, 
the  tail  taking  no  part  in  it.  But  our  naturalist 
hunter  asserts  that  the  tail,  which  is  long  and 
heavy,  being  swung  to  one  side,  acts  like  a  rudder, 
and  gives  the  animal  great  advantage  for  a  short, 
rapid  turn,  which  without  this  element  of  quickness 
would  not  seriously  confuse  his  pursuers. 

The  tail,  however,  is  made  serviceable  when  the 
animal  is  on  the  look-out,  or  on  the  watch.  Mr. 
[icols  describes  what  he  calls  a  ludicrous  scene. 
When  hunting  he  saw  a  large  male  in  a  rank 
meadow  of  ferns.  It  was  literally  standing  on  tip- 
toes and  tip-tail,  the  three  being  straight  and  form- 
ing a  stiff,  firm  tripod.  It  thus  stood  nearly  seven 
feet  high,  surveying  the  situation  over  the  tops  of 

ie  ferns.  The  attitude  is  funny  enough,  when  seen 
in  a  menagerie;  but  the  writer  says:  "It  is^so  gro- 
tesque, and  so  unlike  anything  one  could  expect  of 

kangaroo,  that  should  a  draughtsman  transfer  it 
to  paper  he  would  be  thought  to  be  laboring  under 
the  effects  of  a  disordered  imagination." 

All  animals  show  to  the  best  advantage  when 
practicing  the  functions  for  which  they  are  pecu- 
liarly endowed.  We  saw  this  in  the  Water-mole,  —  on 
land  painfully  slow  and  laborious;  in  the  water  all 
activity  agility,  and  grace.  Thus  each  creature  has 
its  forte.  In  slow  movements  the  kangaroo  is  un- 
couth to  a  degree, — but  when  under  speed,  its 
movements  are  like  an  undulating  flight,  and  grace- 
ful as  those  of  a  bird.  "  All  the  slow  movements  are 
awkward  and  unattractive,  as  when  the  animal  is 


162  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

crawling  along  with  its  short  fore-feet  spread  upon  the 
ground,  dragging  the  long  hind  -  legs  and  massive 
tail  slowly  after  it,  or  sitting  up  scratching  its  sides 
and  back;  but  at  full  gallop  with  dogs  in  chase, 
over  short  grass,  covering  the  ground  in  magnifi- 
cent leaps,  executed  with  the  utmost  rapidity,  it 
presents  a  picture  of  graceful  and  powerful  action, 
unsurpassed  by  anything  in  the  animal  world." 

It  is  pleasant  to  note  any  good  qualities  in  an 
animal  with  so  inferior  an  outfit  of  brains.  But 
when  a  flock  of  kangaroos  is  grazing,  there  will 
generally  be  an  old  buck  whose  accumulated  expe- 
rience has  begotten  habitual  circumspection.  In  his 
patriarchal  discretion  he  will  often  pause,  and  from 
his  tripodal  outlook  take  in  the  situation.  Hearing 
is  with  them  more  acute  than  sight.  In  fact,  from 
sounds  which  it  could  not  comprehend  the  animal 
in  captivity  has  been  known  to  die!  Now  the  vigi- 
lant old  watcher  has  heard  something,  and  down 
comes  his  flail-like  foot,  thud !  thud !  thud !  These 
herds  are  widely  scattered  when  grazing.  The  nearest 
takes  it  up,  —  and  the  next,  —  and,  however  much 
separated,  all  take  it  up,  and  repeat  the  signal,  and 
every  neck  is  craned  hither  and  thither  trying  to 
detect  the  suspected  quarter.  Sometimes  the  stupidity 
is  such  that  the  "mob,"  in  a  panic  runs  into  in- 
stead of  away  from  danger. 

When  in  migration  an  old  buck  will  keep  in  the 
rear,  letting  the  females  and  the  young  go  in  advance. 
This  looks  like  gallantry.  Though  when  "hotly 
pressed "  by  the  dogs,  and  it  is  not  migration  but 


MARSUPIALIA.  163 

flight,  it  is  pretty  much  "all  for  one's  self."  Then  the 
poor  mother,  for  the  sake  of  saving  herself,  will  even 
violate  the  maternal  instinct,  and  drop  her  little  one. 
The  dogs  coming  up  will  stop  to  worry  the  helpless 
thing,  so  in  this  way  time  is  gained  by  the  fleeing 
herd. 

The  kangaroo  in  times  of  drought  can  make,  in  a 
very  short  time,  a  journey  of  over  a  hundred  miles. 
But  these  feats,  be  it  known,  come  not  of  choice,  but 
of  the  sternest  necessity,  the  alternative  being  starvation. 
These  animals  have  a  curious  arrangement  of  the  front 
tci'th,  by  which  they  can  cut  off,  as  with  shears,  the 
roots  of  the  herbage  they  have  eaten  down.  Hence  they 
are  terribly  destructive  of  the  grasses;  and  putting  off 
the  evil  day,  many  will  linger  eking  out  a  miserable 
subsistence,  until  weak  and  emaciated  they  can  be 
followed  and  beaten  down  with  a  club. 

Stupid  as  this  timid  creature  is,  probably  the  kan- 
garoo is  the  most  intelligent  of  all  the  Australian 
marsupials.  The  brain  is  not  quite  so  smooth  as 
those  of  Platypus  and  Echidna,  and  the  animal  is 
when  young  quite  easily  tamed,  and  makes  an  engag- 

g  pet. 

But  this  is  trending  on  a  profoundly  interesting  fact, 
'he  dog  and  the  cat  as  companions  show  us  the 
[uality  and  possibilities  of  animal  intelligence  in  the 
advanced  human  age.  What  of  animal  mind  can  be 
ivoked  from  a  marsupial  pet  should  be  suggestive  of 

le  mental  manifestations  of  those  animal  races,  so 
low  in  the  scale,  whose  creation  was  in  the  early,— 

it  is,  the  long  ago. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 


MARSUPIAJ^iA  — 

The   Wallaby   and   the    Koala. 

HE  statement  which  closed  the  preceding 
chapter  in  respect  to  the  ease  with  which 
some  of  these  animals  can  be  turned  into 
entertaining  pets  will  be  better  understood,  if  I  put 
together  some  of  Mr.  Nicols'  experiences  with  a  tame 
kangaroo. 

Little  Wallaby  Joe. 

On  a  visit  to  the  zoological  gardens  of  Central  Park 
I  overheard  some  persons  talking  about  two  little 
animals  in  a  small  cage.  Outside,  in  a  ground -pen,  was 
a  Macropus  major,  the  great  kangaroo.  Said  one  of  the 
above :  "  The  big  fellow  outside  is  a  kangaroo,  and 
these  are  the  young  ones."  They  were  looking  at  a 
pair  of  pretty  specimens  of  the  Wallaby,  which  although 
placed  in  another  genus  is  a  true  kangaroo,  —  the 
chief  differences  being  that  it  has  upper  canine  teeth, 
which  the  large  kangaroo  has  not,  —  both,  however, 
being  alike  purely  herbivorous. 

As  a  rule  the  genus  to  which  an  animal  belongs  is 
164 


MARSUPIALIA.  165 

fixed  by  its  internal  structure,  and  the  species  or 
trivial  distinction  is  based  upon  the  external  features. 
So  it  is  that  the  dental  difference  mainly  takes  it  out 
of  the  genus  to  which  the  large  kangaroo  belongs.  I 
hope  it  will  not  seem  undignified,  if  I  say,  that  one 
item  in  the  trivial  or  specific  rank  is  a  dudish 
difference  between  it  and  the  great  kangaroo. 

But  this  point  needs  illustration.  In  a  very  old 
poem  occur  these  lines  : 

"  Puss  on  the  hearth,  with  velvet  paws, 
Sits  wiping  o'er  her  whiskered  jaws." 

These  bristles  on  Pussy's  face  are  often  called  whiskers, 
and  perhaps  as  frequently,  smellers.  Functionally,  they 
are  feelers,  and  serve  a  useful  purpose  when  she  is 
prowling  in  the  bushes  for  prey.  Now  the  great 
kangaroo  has  these  smellers  on  his  upper  lip,  and 
on  his  chin.  Suppose  we  say,  he  has  no  whiskers, 
but  wears  a  mustache  and  a  goatee.  To-be  -  sure 
these  decorations  are  very  thin,  like  those  of  an 
aspiring  youth  who  is  toiling  for  a  premature  accom- 
plishment. 

Now,  as  to  the  little  Wallaby,  it  only  imitates  the 
"  big  folks  "  to  the  extent  of  wearing  a  goatee.  And  here 
I  own  to  a  puzzle,  for  as  these  bristles  are  functional, 
and  the  Wallaby  in  its  night -prowls  loves  the  brush, 
I  should  think  it  had  more  need  of  those  appliances 
than  the  big  kangaroo,  which  prefers  the  grassy 
plains.  But  doubtless  there  is  a  reason  for  all  this 
which  we  do  not  understand. 

This  little  kangaroo,  the  Wallaby,  is  naturally  gentle, 
and  the  species  will  even  bear  domestication. 


166  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

Little  Joey,  as  they  called  him,  as  an  infant  Wallaby 
began  life  in  a  pitiful  way,  and  for  a  while  the 
tender  thing  had  a  hard  time.  His  mother  was 
shot,  and  both  were  put  into  a  boat.  It  took 
fourteen  hours  for  the  hunters  to  get  home.  During 
this  time  the  terrified  little  fellow  kept  his  place  in 
the  pouch  of  his  lifeless  mother.  The  hunters  reached 
home  very  late  in  the  night,  when  it  was  found  that 
the  poor  thing  which  they  supposed  to  be  dead  wTas 
still  alive.  Forcing  the  terrified  little  creature  from 
its  dead  mother,  one  of  the  men  put  it  tenderly  in  a 
hunting-bag,  and  carried  it  to  the  house.  It  fell  into 
gentle  hands ;  for  the  lady  took  the  frightened  little 
waif  with  her  to  bed. 

For  a  few  days  the  baby  Wallaby  was  kept  in  one 
room ;  but  he  soon  became  so  tame  and  familiar  that 
he  was  allowed  entire  freedom,  going  all  over  the 
house  without  leaving  it.  He  was  easily  weaned, 
and  leaving  his  baby-pap  he  took  kindly  to  natural 
food,  such  as  grass  and  vegetables.  He  was  now  not 
afraid  of  anybody,  not  even  of  the  dogs. 

This  latter  fact  led  to  some  curious  traits  of  animal 
conduct.  Those  dogs  had  hunted  his  mother,  and 
doubtless  had  enjoyed  their  part  in  bringing  about  her 
hapless  fate.  But  the  sagacious  brutes  knew  well 
enough  that  Joey  had  become  a  privileged  character, 
—  he  was  the  pet  of  the  household,  and  it  would 
not  do  for  them  to  hurt  a  hair  in  his  pelt.  Now 
all  this  was  very  trying  to  their  forbearance.  But 
besides  this  Joey  was  provoking,  for  he  had  a  way 
of  nosing  around  that  put  a  serious  strain  on  these 


MARSUPIALIA.  167 

canine  considerations.  The  fact  was,  the  little  fellow 
could  not  but  believe  that  each  dog  had  a  fur-lined 
pocket  such  as  his  mother  had.  And  he  was  deter- 
mined to  find  it  too!  So  he  would  worry  in  their 
hair  with  his  nose,  and  scratch  with  his  claws,  until 
his  persistence  seemed  persecution  to  the  dogs.  They 
would  growl,  and  change  places,  but  the  little  tease 
would  follow  them  up.  To  the  spectators  Joey's  antics 
were  very  funny,  —  but  for  the  dogs  it  was  taking 
personal  liberties  to  a  degree  almost  intolerable. 

Getting  nothing  out  of  the  dogs,  Joey  w^ould  make  for 
the  lady  who  first  took  pity  on  him.  He  really 
seemed  to  regard  her  as  his  mother;  and  when  he 
found  her,  in  a  trice  he  was  in  her  side-pocket,  where, 
despite  cotton,  spools,  loose  change,  and  such  things, 
he  would  nestle  for  hours.  Should  any  noise  be 
made  he  would  pop  out  his  little  head  to  learn  what 
was  the  matter,  but  seeing  nothing,  he  would  settle 
again  into  his  nest  and  resume  his  nap. 

So  far  as  fear,  he  was  wholly  indifferent  to  the 
dogs,  and  all  they  ever  did  was  to  growl  a  note  of 
disapprobation  when  he  took  such  queer  liberties 
with  them.  This  did  not  last  long,  for  Joey  soon 
mended  his  ways  and  left  off  his  baby  tricks. 
When  he  could  not  get  at  his  mistress,  to  whom 
he  was  greatly  attached,  he  would  jump  into  his 
master's  lap,  and  dive  head  first  into  the  pocket  of 
his  shooting-jacket. 

Joey  took  heartily  to  the  advantages  of  civiliza- 
tion. He  had  a  soul  not  contented  with  grass,  and 
above  roots.  He  appreciated  highly  the  food  of  the 


168  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

household,  —  fruit,  vegetables,  puddings,  and,  strange  to 
say,  even  meat ;  but  if  he  could  get  at  the  sugar- 
bowl,  then  was  his  joy  supreme ! 

He  was  an  amiable  little  creature,  not  much  larger 
than  a  rabbit,  though  when  he  stood  up  rabbit-like 
on  his  hind  feet  his  tallness  made  him  seem  bigger 
than  he  really  was.  His  pretty  little  head,  and  his 
mild  eyes,  but  for  his  limbs,  might  have  passed  him 
for  a  gazelle.  Though  when  one  of  the  dogs,  after 
an  extra  tease,  showed  his  teeth  just  for  a  threat, 
and  Joey  tried  to  grin  back,  it  somewhat  changed 
the  gazelle  resemblance;  the  upper  lip  being  cleft 
and  the  parts  curled  up,  the  show  of  teeth,  though 
handsome,  was  a  little  formidable.  However,  a  little 
tiff  settled  the  matter,  and  in  fact  no  harm  ever 
came  of  these  exceptional  displays. 

But  Joey's  jumping  antics  beat  everything  else. 
Though  so  small,  he  was  a  Avhole  show  in  himself. 
When  the  family  were  sitting  at  a  meal,  Joey,  with  a 
spring  from  the  floor,  just  as  easy  and  careful  as  pos- 
sible, would,  to  the  amazement  of  a  guest,  light  in  the 
middle  of  the  table, — and  smash  things  generally? 
Not  at  all.  In  this  ground  and  lofty  tumbling.  Joey 
was  a  genius.  He  was  an  untaught  saltatorial  artist. 
He  never  missed  his  jump.  He  would  even  hop 
from  one  open  place  to  another  on  the  table,  with- 
out upsetting  glasses  or  dishes.  Then  he  would  stand 
up  on  his  hind  -  legs  in  the  middle  of  the  board, 
amid  the  general  laughter  at  the  comical  figure; 
then,  taking  all  by  surprise,  with  one  neat  spring 
over  the  contents  of  the  table,  would  be  on  the 


MARSUPIALIA. 


169 


floor,  and  back  again,  until  he  had  his  fun  out  to 
his  heart's  content. 

For  squatter  life  Joey's  antics  were  unobjectionable; 
but  for  "society"  his  performances  sometimes  lacked 
the  quality  of  being  well-timed  or  polite.  Still  genius, 
even  though  eccentric,  commands  admiration.  His 
leaps  were  truly  wonderful.  They  seemed  so  easy  and 
effortless,  and  yet  so  precise.  With  none  of  its  zig-zag 
aimlessness,  they  were  as  springy  as  those  of  a  grass- 
hopper. 

He  had  the  full  range  of  the  house,  and  when 
going  up  stairs  he  would  hop  five  or  six  steps  at 
a  time.  Whether  his  down-stairs  experience  was 
becoming  monotonous,  or  he  was  getting  to  be  high- 
minded,  is  a  question ;  for  one  day  he  took  a  notion 
to  attempt  a  more  extended  exploration  of  his  home. 
So  up-stairs  he  went,  and  in  a  very  few  bounds 
reached  the  top  story.  Did  the  outlook  suggest  a 
grand  effort?  He  made  a  leap  from  the  window. 
That  was  Joey's  last  act  at  "lofty  tumbling."  It  cost 
the  performer  a  broken  neck. 

Little  Wallaby  had  furnished  the  household  with 
entertainment  for  one  round  year;  and  this  pitiful 
>vind-up,  like  the  premature  ending  of  a  distinguished 
Career,  produced  a  temporary  gloom.  The  proper 
reflection  was  that  the  orphan  had  been  allowed  too 
much  liberty,  and  his  downfall  was  the  outcome  of 
an  unwarranted  confidence  in  his  own  abilities. 

But  let  us  not  damage  Joey's  record,  —  "of  the 
dead  speak  only  good";  and  to  err  is  human. 
Even  for  a  Wallaby,  all  of  them  simple  folks,  he 


170  ANIMAL   MEMOIRS. 

was    gentle    and    innocent,  and    must    not  be  written 
down  as  one 

"That  fell  in  rank-blown  pride." 

So,  happy  be  the  memory  of  little  Wallaby  Joey! 

To  discuss  fully  the  curious  mammals  of  Aus- 
tralia would  fill  volumes.  Their  number  is  large, 
and  their  diversity  in  size  and  form  is  very  great. 
One  species  is  hardly  larger  than  a  mouse.  Some 
of  them,  too,  like  our  flying  squirrels,  can  glide  from 
tree  to  tree.  And  there  are  among  these  marsupials 
external  resemblances  to  almost  all  our  higher  mam- 
mals. Hence  one  of  them,  the  Koala,  a  tailless 
creature,  is  known  as  the  native  bear,  though  Bruin 
would  not  own  him  for  a  distant  cousin  even,  —  and 
it  is  certain  that,  as  to  Madam  Bruin,  the  conduct 
of  the  baby  Koala  would  be  simply  unbearable. 

The  question  of  the  position  of  the  Koala  in 
nature,  and  its  relationship  to  extinct  forms,  though 
very  interesting,  might  require  too  much  technical 
detail  to  narrate.  So  I  will  merely  mention  its 
scientific  name,  Phascolarctos  cinerius.  It  is  a  little 
funny  that  under  this  long  generic  term  is  couched 
a  compromise  with  the  popular  whim  or  conception; 
for  with  its  specific  name,  the  literal  meaning  is 
the  ashen-colored  pouch-bearing  bear. 

The  animal  is  arboreal  in  habit,  —  the  tree  is  its 
home;  and  it  is  rarely  seen  of  its  own  accord  on 
the  ground,  where  in  truth  it  is  so  awkward  and 
slow,  that  it  is  often  called  a  sloth.  By  day  it 
slumbers,  and  in  a  crotch  of  a  tree,  asleep  with  its 


MARSUPIALIA.  171 

head  embraced  in  its  fore-limbs,  its  gray  or  ashy 
color,  so  like  that  of  the  bole  of  the  gum  or  Euca- 
lyptus trees,  is  generally  a  complete  concealment. 
When  night  comes,  among  the  trees  its  agility  is 
all  that  could  be  desired. 

In  a  word,  it  is  an  admirable  climber,  for  its  food 
is  mainly  composed  of  the  leaves  of  the  Eucalyptus 
tree.  For  this  arboreous  life  nature  has  endowed  it 
with  a  peculiar  fitness  of  limbs.  The  creature,  as 
snid,  lias  no  tail,  or  none  to  be  seen,  and  is  about 
two  feet  long,  and  an  adult  may  weigh  twenty  pounds. 
The  inner  toe  of  each  hind -foot  is  opposable  like  our 
thumbs,  while  in  the  fore-feet  the  toes  are  divided 
into  sets,  those  which  correspond  to  the  thumb  and 
fore-finger  being  opposable  to  the  other  three  toes. 
Thus  each  foot  is  prehensile,  and  the  animal  is 
virtually  four-handed.  The  nails  of  the  toes  are 
strong,  sharp,  and  hooked. 

The  naturalist  hunter,  whom  I  have  cited,  kept 
at  different  times  a  Koala  as  a  pet.  Let  me  try 
to  give  a  sketch  of  these  creatures,  when  thus 
treated  : 

Some    Tame    Koalas. 

The  hunter's  favorite  pet  seems  to  have  been  a 
young  Koala,  which  he  called  Ka-hoo.  The  name 
was  really  a  part  of  the  little  fellow's  plaintive  cry. 
He  was  the  bed-room  companion  of  his  master;  and 
was,  like  many  a  human  baby,  —  though  very  nice, 
very  troublesome.  He  disliked  the  light,  and  in  the 
evenings,  when  his  master  was  reading  or  writing, 


172  ANIMAL   MEMOIRS. 

he  would  climb  up  to  the  back  of  his  neck,  and, 
holding  011  to  the  hair  of  the  head  as  if  it  were  a 
garment,  would  retain  his  place,  if  allowed,  for  an 
hour  at  a  time. 

When  the  master's  bed-time  came  and  the  light  was 
put  out,  then  was  Ka-hoo's  opportunity.  He  loved 
the  darkness,  and  at  once  set  in  for  a  frolic.  He 
would  seem  to  be  everywhere,  especially  wherever  mis- 
chief was  possible.  Except  to  a  hunter,  the  racket 
raised  by  the  little  fellow  would  have  made  sleep 
impossible.  There  was  a  rummaging  among  every- 
thing, even  the  shooting  and  fishing  outfit  of  the 
sportsman.  Nothing  kept  its  place  that  could  be 
upset.  Even  the  book-shelves  were  mounted,  but  the 
books  were  not  noticed,  nor  any  litter-ary  work 
attempted,  such  as  I  have  seen  domestic  rodents 
achieve.  To  tax  his  best  performances,  it  was  enough 
that  the  object  should  be  as  much  out  of  the  way 
as  possible.  Hence  Ka-hoo  aimed  to  get  at  any 
projection  or  fixture  on  the  walls  of  the  room,  from 
which  he  always  came  to  the  floor  with  a  thud ! 

This  racket  would  be  kept  up  for  an  hour  or 
more,  when,  getting  tired,  the  animal  would  betake 
himself  to  his  master's  bed,  there  snuggling  under 
his  arm ;  but  such  the  creature's  alertness,  that  the 
sleeper  never  rolled  on  him. 

Ka-hoo  disliked  to  be  put  on  the  floor.  I  have 
mentioned  that  in  the  wild  state  the  species  is  but 
rarely  seen  on  the  ground,  where,  their  movements 
being  difficult,  are  slow  and  ungainly.  If  left  on  the 
floor,  should  a  servant  pass  by,  he  would  grasp  her 


MARSUPIALI  A.  173 

skirt,  and  climbing  half-way  up  the  garment  would, 
hang  there  sleeping  while  the  servant  went  about 
her  work ;  for,  like  the  troublesome  baby,  Ka-hoo 
had  unusual  indulgence. 

I  am  sorry  to  say  of  this  engaging  little  fellow, 
that,  like  other  aborigines,  it  was  not  the  white-man's 
virtues,  but  his  weaknesses,  that  he  imitated.  He  even 
took  to  eating  tobacco,  swallowing  it  with  enjoyment. 
When  his  master  was  smoking,  while  reading,  he 
would  climb  upon  him,  get  perched  on  his  shoulder, 
and  take  the  pipe  out  of  his  mouth,  and  put  it 
into  his  own,  —  not  to  smoke,  for  he  had  not  learned 
how,  but  to  eat  the  stem,  if  allowed;  and  on  one 
occasion  he  did  get  a  rank  pipe,  and  chewed  up, 
and  ate  the  most  of  the  stock. 

After  their  return  home  from  the  hunt,  it  seems 
that  some  indulgence  was  had,  not  unusual  to  such 
a  wild  life,  and  Koala,  when  he  heard  the  clink  of 
glasses,  would  come  from  his  perch  in  the  raf- 
ters, and  beg  his  sip  of  the  white-man's  firewater. 
Of  its  effect  my  reader  may  rest  assured  that,  as 
with  the  savage,  so  with  this  little  beast,  it  was  no 
improvement  upon  either  health  or  character. 

Another  of  Mr.  Nicols'  koalas  took  a  strong  liking 
to  the  mistress  of  the  house,  evincing  an  unmistak- 
able affection,  and  even  for  his  species  showing  a 
high  degree  of  intelligence.  The  little  fellow  was 
allowed  the  utmost  freedom  of  range.  It  being  the 
Australian  summer,  the  windows  were  left  open  at 
night.  Thus  the  pet  would  go  off  to  the  brush,  or 
forest,  and  betake  himself  to  the  dew-drenched  trees. 


174  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

There  he  would  regale  himself  on  the  leaves,  and  per- 
haps have  a  little  frolic  with  his  wild  friends,  not  hav- 
ing got  above  his  poor  relations.  All  this  done,  he 
would  return  to  the  house,  and  this  before  the  night 
was  over,  entering  at  the  open  window  by  which  he 
had  left.  But  here  again  came  in  the  "troublesome 
baby/'  for  he  would  get  into  his  mistress's  bed,  all 
wet  and  muddy,  and  snuggle  up  to  her  with  a 
grunt  of  satisfaction  to  himself,  —  but  evoking  an 
expression  of  discomfort  from  the  waking  lady. 

One  evening,  when  the  hunter  naturalist  was  en- 
joying his  leisure  at  the  house,  a  native  black  came 
with  a  tiny  little  animal  for  him.  It  was  a  very 
little  Koala  taken  from  its  mother  at  an  age  altogether 
too  tender  for  such  a  deprivation.  So  young  was  it, 
that  the  hunter  was  about  to  knock  it  on  the  head, 
and  so  end  its  distress,  rather  than  let  it  starve  to 
death.  But  a  bright  idea  caused  a  resolution  to  try 
to  raise  the  poor  thing.  The  house-cat  had  a  litter 
of  kittens,  and  all  save  one  had  been  destroyed.  The 
tender  little  Kolie  was  intrusted  to  Tabbie.  Happily 
the  cat  took  kindly  to  the  little  thing,  and  it  was 
welcome  with  her  kitten  to  the  same  fount  of  nour- 
ishment. 

I  must  state  here,  that,  unlike  the  other  marsupials, 
whatever  the  reason  may  be,  the  Koala  cradles  her 
single  little  one  but  a  short  time.  As  a  result  the 
young  is  carried  on  the  mother's  back,  it  clinging 
to  the  thick  coarse  fur. 

So  whenever  this  tiny  creature  had  taken  its  fill 
of  milk  like  the  kitten,  it  sought  to  get  on  the 


MAKSUPIALI. \.  175 

back  of  its  foster-mother.  To  this  the  old  cat  ob- 
jected,—  but  little  Kolie  insisted.  The  cat  was  both- 
ered. The  sharp  nails  of  her  little  charge  inflicted 
pain,  and  she  rolled  over  and  over,  without  dislodg- 
ing the  strange  thing.  In  her  embarrassment  she  ran 
round  the  room,  but  carrying  the  little  torment, 
who  clung  pertinaciously  to  her.  And  this  was  not 
a  difficult  thing  for  the  little  waif,  as  it  was  only  what 
all  baby  Koalas  had  to  do  in  the  gum-trees,  so  even 
when  the  mother  ran  among  the  branches  they  did 
not  get  brushed  off. 

As  long  as  it  lasted,  the  experiment  was  really  in- 
teresting, and  afforded  much  amusement.  —  But  Pus- 
sie's  milk  was  greatly  different  from  that  of  the 
mother  Koala,  and  the  little  thing  in  a  few  days 
died. 

It  was  not  long  ago  when  the  first  living  Koala 
reached  England.  Its  arrival  caused  much  interest, 
and  the  animal  was  intrusted  to  Mr.  Bartlett,  the 
director  of  the  Zoological  Institute. 

He  took  it  to  his  house.  Its  habits  were  much 
like  those  of  Ka-hoo.  It  would  sleep  by  day  and 
romp  at  night.  This  gentleman  would  shut  himself 
up  with  it  in  his  library.  While  the  light  burned 
the  animal  would  be  comparatively  still,  but  the 
instant  the  light  was  turned  off  its  play  began.  It 
would  climb  up  the  library  case,  and  in  fact  would  get 
on  everything  that  it  could,  and  keep  up  a  general 
racket.  It  tried  to  mount  a  small  stand,  or  piece  of 
furniture,  which  went  over  with  the  little  fellow, 
giving  it  an  unlucky  blow  that  puffed  out  the 
merry  life  of  the  distinguished  young  foreigner. 


176  ANIMAL   MEMOIRS. 

The  appearance  of  an  adult  Koala  is  pretty,  and 
a  little  quaint.  There  is  a  playful  pertness  in  its 
physiognomy;  its  small  round  head  being  set  off  by 
its  prim  round  ears.  The  full  black  eyes  give  it  a 
gentle  aspect.  And  the  black  spot  on  the  end  of 
the  nose  is  funny,  for  all  the  rest  of  the  body  is  a 
uniform  ashy-gray. 

Koalas  seem  also  to  possess  more  intelligence  than 
the  other  marsupials.  They  have,  moreover,  a  voice 
which  is  "  plaintive  and  unvaried,  but  not  unpleasant." 
It  is  a  triplet  of  sounds,  "  which  may  be  written  ka- 
koo-oo ;  the  first  is  uttered  quickly,  and  rising  in  tone, 
the  second  falling  an  octave  lower,  and  the  third 
becoming  a  long-drawn  mournful  cadence.  Whatever 
may  be  the  state  of  the  animal's  mind,  this  is  the 
only  expression  of  it,  except  a  suppressed  grunt,  which 
seems  to  indicate  satisfaction." 


CHAPTER    XV. 


COUSINS    THREE    OF    HIGH    DEGREE. 

Cousin    One  — The    Raccoon. 

UROPE  in  her  marsupial  age  sank  slowly  into 
the  sea.  And  her  emergence  from  the  depths 
was  probably  as  slow.  The  regime  of  the 
Pouched  Animals  was  over, —  and  they  disappeared 
before  the  coming  of  a  superior  race  of  beasts.  Amer- 
ica, then,  is  the  older  world,  as  she  is  not  yet  quite 
out  of  her  marsupial  days.  In  fact,  she  has  several 
living  representatives  of  the  times  of  uncouth  mam- 
mals. But  her  one  genus,  Diddphys,  the  opossum,  of 
itself  marks  her  as  an  ancient  land.  But  she  is  not 
so  far  back  as  Australia,  with  her  Kangaroo,  for  the 
opossum  is  an  advanced  marsupial,  and  belongs  to 
America  alone. 

The  Virginia  opossum  of  the  Middle  and  Southern 
States  is  but  one  of  the  many  species  of  this  genus 
to  be  found  in  South  America,  —  although  not  one 
opossum  is  to  be  found  anywhere  else  in  the  world. 

It  is  an  interesting  coincidence  that  in  the  Eastern 
States  is  the  one  species  of  Raccoon  to  be  found 
in  our  country,  the  Procyon  lotor.  Going  through 

177 


178  ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

Mexico  to  South  America  we  find  several  species; 
also  the  congener  Nasua,  the  Coati-Mondi.  So  close 
is  the  relationship  of  these  two  genera,  that  natural- 
ists have  put  them  into  a  family  under  the  name 
Procyonidx,  as  if  all  might  be  Coonites. 

And  there  is  also  in  South  America  a  curious  little 
animal,  the  Kinkajou,  Cercoleptese  caudivolvolus.  Out  of 
the  Americas  not  one  of  these  three  creatures  is  to  he 
found.  Moreover,  as  I  expect  to  show,  they  all  have 
a  lineal  descent  from  the  same  ancestors.  Hence,  I 
shall  treat  them  as  three  cousins  of  a  distinguished 
pedigree. 

There  is  a  humiliating  likeness  in  one  particular 
between  the  human  and  the  animal  races.  The 
stronger  have  displaced  or  destroyed  the  weaker. 
Those  ancient  herbivores  which  were  but  feeble  folks, 
each 

"Did  forfeit  with  his  life  all  those  his  lands, 
Which  he  stood  seized  of,   to  the  Conqueror." 

Though  less  savage,  yet  of  those  conquering  car- 
nivores came  our  Raccoon  and  his  cousins. 

The  immediate  lineage  of  our  Pontos  arid  Tab- 
bies had  not  begun  when  the  Procyonida?,  or  Coon- 
ites, were  a  power  among  the  beasts.  The  civet-like 
face  is  suggestive  of  litheness  and  cunning,  while  the 
bear-like  build  of  the  skull  and  feet  indicate  strength 
and  endurance.  And  the  skull  has  two  other  marked 
features  which  look  more  to  further  bequeathal  than 
to  a  past  inheritance. 

A  very  un-bear-like  development  is  the  swollen 
ear-drum  bone,  like  that  in  the  dog.  Besides  this 


COUSINS   THREE  OF    HIGH   DEGREE.  179 

are  the  crushing-teeth,  or  molars,  so  much  like  the 
back  molars  of  the  dog.  Now  just  this  deviation 
from  the  predominance  of  the  bear  structure,  in  this 
generalized  form,  the  Raccoon  is  one  of  those  prophe- 
cies of  Creative  intention  which  science  alone  can  in- 
terpret. 

Now  comes  the  question,  What  does  Procyon  mean? 
Literally  it  is  the  "  before-dog,"  —  not  that  our  Coon 
is  a  dog  at  all, —  but  the  precursor,  the  forerunner, 
the  indicator  of  that  race,  so  high  in  intelligence. 
In  this  generality  of  the  fabric  is  the  prophecy  and 
promise  of  a  coming  specialty  of  structure  in  the 
carnivores,  as  seen  in  that  highly  organized  and 
specialized  animal,  the  dog,  the  servant  and  lover  of 
man. 

The  fact  of  the  high  antiquity  of  the  Raccoon's 
ancestry  is  here  adduced,  because  it  must  attract  the 
reader.  And  the  few  words  on  its  bony  structure 
are  given  that  it  may  appear  how  profound  are  the 
teachings  of  comparative  anatomy.  Of  these  two 
curious  creatures,  here  called  cousins,  the  raccoon  and 
the  coati,  I  am  now  considering  the  first,  and  am 
dividing  the  story  into  topics,  the  better  to  aid  our 
memory.  The  little  already  said  must  at  present 
suffice  for  the  Coon's  pedigree. 

A  personal  description  of  the  Racoon  is  now  in 
order,  although  word  pictures  of  living  things  are 
difficult  to  make.  The  raccoon  is  a  really  pretty 
animal,  and  has  some  attractive  ways,  hence  it  is 
often  seen  as  a  pet  in  country  -  houses.  A  fully 
grown  specimen  will  measure  two  feet  from  the  tip 


180  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

of  the  nose  to  the  base  of  the  tail;  and  either  one 
of  these  extremities  would  furnish  of  itself  the  topic 
for  a  little  composition. 

It  is  thought  the  becoming  thing,  in  winter,  for  a 
lady  to  wear  about  her  neck  a  round  fur  tippet, 
called  in  bad  taste  a  boa,  as  if  it  might  bear  resem- 
blance to  the  boa  constrictor,  that  terrible  strangler  of 
beasts.  Now,  for  comfort  and  beauty  no  "  boa "  could 
vie  with  one  made  of  coon-tails,  such  the  length 
and  softness  of  the  fur,  with  the  pleasantly  contrasted 
colors  of  the  rings. 

And  this  recalls  the  barbaric  splendor  of  Powhatan, 
the  Indian  emperor,  so  styled  by  his  prisoner,  Captain 
John  Smith.  He  says  that  "more  than  two  hundred 
grim  courtiers  stood  wrondering  at  him,  as  if  he  had 
been  a  monster ;  till  Powhatan  and  his  train  had  put 
themselves  in  their  greatest  braveries.  Before  a  fire, 
upon  a  seat  like  a  bedstead,  he  (the  Indian  emperor) 
sat  covered  with  a  great  robe  made  of  Rarowcun  skins, 
and  all  the  tails  hanging  by." 

Observe,  in  this  showing  off  the  king  "in  the 
best  barbarous  'manner  they  could,"  how  much  of 
the  grandiosity  and  pomp  of  the  occasion  was  due 
to  the  Raccoon  tails ! 

There  is  a  tint  which  is  much  admired,  that  of  the 
human  hair  when  the  raven  locks  are  "just  upon 
the  turn."  It  is  almost  shown  in  the  fur  of  the 
raccoon.  The  long  hairs  are  tipped  with  black,  the 
shorter  and  softer  hairs  are  of  a  light  color,  and  by 
blending  of  the  two  the  entire  pelage  becomes  a 
handsome  grizzly  gray.  The  fine  bushy  tail  is 


COUSINS    TllllKE  OF   HIGH    DEGREE.  181 

ringed  with  bands  of  light  ashen-gray  and  shining 
black.  And  this  handsome  ringed  brush  is  an  orna- 
ment which  distinguishes  the  entire  tribe  of  the 
Coonites,  as  the  Coatis  have  a  similar  adornment, 
with  even  gayer  contrast  of  colors. 

As  to  the  forward  extremity,  the  proboscis,  the 
Coon  bears  this  member  also  in  greater  moderation 
than  its  cousin.  In  truth,  the  snout  of  the  Coon  is 
a  rather  pretty  and  pert  affair.  Speaking  in  figure, 
the  animal  does  not  turn  up  its  nose  at  anything, 
for  it  has  an  omnivorous  appetite;  but  in  sheer  inquisi- 
tiveness  this  organ  pries  into  everything.  Yet  this  little 
whity  snout  has  a  pretty  natural  turn-up-a-tiveness 
of  its  own,  for  it  is,  as  some  one  has  said,  "tip-tilted 
like  the  petal  of  a  flower,"  —  a  tulip,  for  example. 

The  Coon  has  a  knowing  face,  but  is  innocent,  that 
is,  not  foxy ;  for  though  meddlesome,  and  somewhat 
impudent,  it  has  not  the  craft  of  Master  Reynard. 
The  face  from  chin  to  top  of  forehead  is  narrow,  but 
in  the  other  direction  it  is  very  wide.  Around  the 
muzzle  is  a  band  of  chalky  white,  with  a  spot  of  purer 
white  on  the  tip  of  the  nose.  On  this  spot,  as  if  painted 
on  the  black  face,  rests  a  V  in  white.  The  top  of  each 
bar  of  this  letter  touches  the  inner  corner-  of  the  bright 
little  eye,  and  is  continued  round  it,  looking  like 
ivory  spectacles  on  a  face  of  ebony,  the  expression 
of  it  all  being  that  of  grotesque  gravity. 

The  trim  well-set  ears,  round  and  erect,  and  not 
over-large  for  beauty,  impart  to  the  face  an  air  of  neat 
compactness ;  for  though  the  ears  are  not  large,  the  ear- 
drum is,  so  the  hearing  of  the  animal  is  acute. 


182  AXIMAL   MEMOIRS. 

The  feet,  especially  the  forward,  or  hands,  are  almost 
naked,  and  so  delicate  as  to  present  a  light-fingered 
aspect,  in  no  way  comporting  with  the  animal's  bear- 
like  alliance;  for  when  it  sits  or  stands  it  does  so  in 
true  ursine,  that  is  flat-footed  style.  And  yet,  curiously 
too,  when  it  runs  it  is  a  toe-stepper  like  a  clog. 

Owing  to  its  thick  fur,  the  coon  is  smaller  in  body 
than  it  looks,  for  it  is  not  much  larger  than  many 
a  domestic  cat. 

Very  little  comes  amiss  to  the  Coon's  bill  of  fare,  a 
fact  which  makes  the  animal  a  nuisance  to  the  farmer. 
"  It  eats  almost  everything.  Fish,  frogs,  birds,  and  their 
eggs  are  eagerly  sought,  and  adroitly  taken.  These 
failing,  the  hen-roost  is  visited,  and  for  variety  the 
gardens  and  the  fields.  It  is  said  to  open  pumpkins 
and  eat  the  seeds.  The  sweet  milk  in  the  kernels  of 
green  corn  is  eagerly  sought ;  and  it  does  much  mischief 
in  the  cornfields,  bending  down  the  stalks  and  gnawing 
on  the  ears  in  a  provokingly  wasteful  way,  so  unlike 
that  of  the  musk-rat,  which  gnaws  off  the  ear  and 
carries  it  to  his  home.  Hence  the  sight  to  the  farmer 
on  a  morning  of  the  coon's  large  tracks  is  anything 
but  welcome." 

The  knowing  beast  will  learn  what  planting  is  being 
done,  and  will  undo  in  the  night  much  of  the  farmer's 
work  by  day.  An  old  coon  not  far  from  my  home 
was  said  "to  know  beans."  He  would  in  one  night 
scratch  up  and  eat  the  planting  of  the  garden. 

As  already  stated,  our  Northern  Raccoon  is  known 
among  naturalists  as  Procyon  lotor.  The  name  lotor 
means  "washer,"  and  the  animal  is  called  by  the 


COUSINS    THREE    OF    HIGH    DEGREE.  183 

Germans  "the  washing  bear."  The  creature  has  an 
unsightly  habit  of  subjecting  its  food,  before  eating, 
to  a  water-bath  upon  almost  every  occasion,  reminding 
the  writer  of  a  fastidious  person  whom  he  knew,  who 
was  so  fussily  cleanly  that  she  was  called  dirty.  She 
had  a  nose  for  uncleanness.  The  primest  cut  of  beef 
wa*  for  her  unfit  to  be  eaten  until  it  had  been  sodden 
and  drenched  in  many  waters,  and  made  as  colorless 
as  the  flesh  of  fish.  So  wTith  the  coon,  especially  if  it 
have  animal  food ;  even  an  oyster,  of  which  it  is  very 
fond,  must  be  doused  in  wrater  until  it  becomes  almost 
shreddy. 

Some  say  this  is  due  to  the  animal's  sense  of  cleanli- 
ness. Nonsense.  Others  think  it  is  to  soften  its  food. 
Does  an  oyster  need  softening?  Besides,  Procyon  is 
well  supplied  with  good  stout  teeth.  Of  these  it  has 
forty,  only  two  less  than  the  bear.  And  the  molars 
have  tuberculated  crowns,  which,  though  not  well  suited 
for  grinding  or  mincing,  are  admirable  for  crushing. 
As  to  its  two  somewhat  outstanding  canines  they  are 
double-edged  and  sharp,  cutting  keenly,  of  which  the 
writer  has  had  very  convincing  experience.  We  think 
that  the  habit  of  washing  its  flesh  food  is  due  to  instinct. 
It  can  catch  fish,  but  not  in  the  way  nor  with  the 
ease  of  the  otter,  for  the  coon  finds  diving  difficult. 

This  dousing  of  its  flesh  food  in  water  is  a  curious  gas- 
tronomic propensity,  probably  imparting  to  its  dietary 
a  smack  of  the  taste  of  fish,  of  which  it  is  so  fond, 
but  which  the  animal  does  not  find  it  easy  to  obtain. 
It  is  an  interesting  fact,  that  the  Raccoonda,  or  great 
water-rat  in  Central  America,  so  valuable  for  its  fur, 
has  the  same  propensity  of  washing  its  food. 


184  ANIMAL   MEMOIRS. 

Coon  -  Craftiness. 

For  an  instance  of  coon-craft,  a  teacher  of  zoology 
informed  his  class  that  the  raccoon  would  lie  in  wait 
by  an  oyster-bed,  and  when  the  oyster  opened  its  shell 
would  insert  a  paw  and  snatch  the  mollusk  out. 
Another  gentleman  of  education  with  all  gravity  told 
me  the  following:  — 

"In  the  south  are  many  oysters,  long  and  narrow, 
which  they  call  raccoon  oysters,  because  coons  eat  them. 
In  Florida,  I  have  often  seen  on  a  moonlight  night, 
the  raccoon  come  out  of  the  woods  and  steal  softly 
to  the  oyster  flats  at  low  tide,  and  vthe  oysters  at  his 
approach  wTould  all  shut  up.  But  the  raccoon  would 
wait  quietly  until  the  oysters  would  open ;  then,  snatch- 
ing his  paw  between  the  shells,  the  coon  would  jerk 
the  oyster  out.  But  if  not  quick  enough  sometimes 
the  oyster  would  close  upon  the  paw,  and  the  coon 
would  have  to  carry  the  oyster,  being  unable  to  shake 
it  off  for  some  time." 

Some  of  this  statement  is  true  as  having  been  seen, 
but  the  remainder  is  born  of  the  imagination. 

The  raccoon  does  like  oysters  and  the  muskrat  likes 
river  mussels,  and,  however  it  is  done,  each  animal 
has  his  own  way  of  securing  its  food.  I  never  heard 
that  the  muskrat  opened  an  oyster,  though  it  is  certain 
that  he  does  in  some  way  get  the  unio,  or  river  mussel, 
out  of  its  shell,  and  his  sharp  rodent  teeth  one  might 
think  had  a  good  deal  to  do  with  it.  The  coon  has 
not  this  outfit,  and  it  may  be  that  when  he  gets  an 
oyster  he  does  so  by  manual  dexterity,  but  not  alto- 
gether as  described  above. 


COUSINS    THREE    OF    HIGH    DEGREE.  185 

The  so-called  coon  oysters  are  also  known  as  strap 
oysters.  They  grow  standing  on  the  pointed  or  hinge- 
end,  owing  to  their  crowded  condition,  which  compels 
them  to  grow  upward,  and  thus  they  become  long 
and  narrow.  Those  of  them  on  the  flats  will  become 
exposed  at  low  tide,  and  at  this  time  it  may  be  that 
the  coon  finds  an  occasional  one  feebler  than  the  others 
and  with  his  hands  may  be  able  to  force  the  valves 
apart,  and  thus  secure  the  contents. 

An  intelligent  youth  near  to  manhood  asserts  that  he 
has  often  seen  the  muskrat  bring  the  mussels  to  shore, 
and  open  the  small  or  weak  ones;  and  leave  the  large 
ones  to  the  sun's  heat,  when  they  would  soon  die  and 
so  open  of  themselves. 

If  this  be  so,  it  is  supposable  that  the  raccoon  might 
bring  oysters  up  from  the  flats,  and  thus  expose  them 
to  the  sun.  But  this  would  accredit  the  animal  with 
a  good  deal  of  wisdom  and  patience. 

The  raccoon  makes  much  use  of  his  pointed,  flexible 
muzzle  in  extracting  worms  and  grubs  out  of  nooks 
and  narrow  places.  Where  this  fails  the  cunning  fellow 
turns  his  paws  to  good  account.  He  will  vary  his  efforts, 
if  necessary,  putting  his  body  into  position  and  intro- 
ducing the  paw  sidewise.  Thus  he  will  explore  the  nest 
of  the  golden-winged  woodpecker  in  its  deeply  excavated 
hole  in  the  apple-tree,  inserting  his  paw  and  getting  out 
eggs,  and  sometimes  drawing  up  the  poor  bird  itself. 

That  the  raccoon  has  a  skill  of  his  own  cannot  be 
doubted.  A  friend  informs  me  he  was  hunting  in  the 
Adirondacks,  and  the  party  encamped  for  the  night. 
The  camp  was  the  ordinary  shed  or  booth  with  an  open 


186  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

front,  which  was  well  protected  by  a  fire.  In  the  night 
a  raccoon  managed  to  remove  a  portion  of  the  bark  roof 
and  make  off  with  a  piece  of  bacon  without  disturbing 
the  sleeping  hunters,  who  did  not  discover  their  loss 
before  morning. 

That  the  reader  may  know  something  of  the  inner  life 
of  this  fine  animal  we  must  give  an  account  of  a  tame 
raccoon  known  in  our  neighborhood  as  "  Coon  Dick." 
As  nearly  as  can  be  the  story  shall  be  given  in  the 
owner's  words:  — 

"When  I  was  a  boy,  on  one  occasion  my  father  sent 
me  to  turn  hay  in  the  meadow.  I  was  going  to  my 
work  carrying  the  hay  fork  in  my  hand,  when  on  nearing 
the  swamp  I  heard  a  curious  noise,  and  on  looking, 
saw  a  young  coon  running  along  the  bank  of  the  stream. 
He  would  run  in  one  direction  and  then  turn  and  run 
back  again,  repeating  the  movement,  and  all  the  time 
keeping  up  a  whimpering  cry,  which  is  not  easy  to 
describe,  but  which  seemed  to  indicate  that  he  wanted 
something. 

"I  thought  that  he  wanted  to  cross  the  brook.  With 
the  pitchfork  in  my  hand  I  gave  him  a  toss  which  caused 
him  to  fall  off  the  bank  into  the  stream.  I  was  tempted 
to  spear  him,  but  taking  pity  on  the  poor  thing  I  helped 
him  out  of  the  water.  To  my  surprise  instead  of  running 
away  he  came  directly  to  me.  So  I  took  him  up  into 
my  arms;  and  scratching  his  head  and  talking  to  him 
in  a  fondling  way,  I  carried  him  home. 

"He  became  at  once  a  great  pet,  for  he  seemed  to  have 
an  implicit  confidence  in  me,  and  I  own  to  having 
had  quite  an  affection  for  him.  Still  this  very  confidence 


COUSINS    THREE    OF    HIGH    DEGREE.  187 

made  him  a  little  too  fearless,  and  he  would  get  in  the 
way.  I  chained  him  up.  But  this  loss  of  liberty  was 
a  new  and  painful  experience.  He  began  sulking, 
and  for  several  days  almost  e'ntirely  refused  food. 

"During  this  time  he  had  a  curious  habit  of  bending 
his  head  under  the  chest  and  between  the  forelegs, 
bringing  the  weight  of  the  forward  part  of  the  body 
upon  his  forehead,  which  rested  on  the  ground.  He 
seemed  to  sit  upon  his  face.  I  would  stir  him  up,  and 
talk  softly  to  him.  'Come,  Dick,  poor  Dick!'  Then  I 
offered  him  food,  which  he  refused.  I  then  as  if  neglect- 
ing it  thought  best  to  wait  patiently.  The  little  pris- 
oner still  refused  food  for  nearly  three  days.  He  was 
now  keenly  hungry,  and  I  offered  him  food,  which 
he  took  eagerly.  The  matter  was  now  accomplished. 

"Dick  had  found  his  appetite,  and  in  some  degree 
had  become  reconciled  to  his  chain.  He  knew  me  well, 
crying  after  me  every  time  I  came  in  sight.  I  would 
call,  Dick,  for  he  had  learned  his  name,  and  he  would 
answer  me  in  a  plaintive  but  affectionate  tone. 

"  I  treated  him  in  the  matter  of  the  chain  much  as  one 
does  a  dog,  occasionally  giving  him  full  freedom.  At 
such  times  he  would  follow  me  all  about,  and  to  a  great 
distance,  sometimes  even  going  with  me  to  the  woods. 
He  would  at  these  times  climb  trees.  I  would  then 
call,  Dick!  Dick!  and  make  a  feint  of  running  away 
from  him,  when  he  would  come  down  and  run  after  me. 

"We  had  near  the  house  a  pool  of  cold  water  which 
was  fed  by  a  never-failing  spring.  It  was  our  custom 
to  put  live  fish  in  this  pool,  whence  we  took  them 
when  wanted  for  the  table.  To  our  regret  Dick  found 


188  ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

this  out.  And  he  had  a  very  foxy  way  of  helping 
himself.  In  fact  he  was  too  fond  of  fish,  and  quite 
too  clever  at  catching  them.  It  was  somewhat  droll 
to  see  him  waiting  patiently  at  our  little  fish-pond. 
When  a  fish  would  come  near  enough,  with  an  extended 
paw  he  would  give  a  sideway  blow  with  the  claws 
protruded,  and  thus  jerk,  or  hook  a  fish  so  neatly 
out  of  the  water. 

"When  I  got  Dick  he  was,  I  should  think,  about 
one-third  grown.  He  grew  finely;  in  fact,  he  was  well 
fed.  But  he  had  a  mussy  way  of  dousing  his  food 
in  water. 

"I  caught  him  in  June.  In  the  fall  on  one  occasion 
when  he  was  not  chained'  a  man  came  to  the  house 
with  his  dog.  Dick  had  scared  other  dogs,  but  this 
one  was  too  much  for  him,  and  he  took  to  the  woods 
badly  frightened.  The  dog  left  him  up  in  a  tree. 
I  don't  know  but  that  seemed  to  break  up  his  attach- 
ment for  the  house.  He  did  come  back  a  few  times, 
but  did  not  allow  us  to  catch  him.  Soon  his  calls 
were  made  only  at  night,  when  he  took  to  visiting 
the  chicken-coop.  Having  now  to  feed  himself  he 
became  a  nuisance.  He  had  become  pretty  big  by 
this  time,  and  it  being  late  in  the  fall  we  never 
saw  him  again.  It  was  our  opinion  that  Dick  hud 
seen  his  folks,  hence  the  wild  nature  was  all  revived." 

As  illustrating  the  cunning  of  the  Coon,  and  the 
excitement  of  capturing  him,  let  us  relate  an  incident. 
Near  the  residence  of  a  tenant  -  farmer  was  a  large 
old  tree  which  was  hollow.  A  friend  who  was  passing 
observed  the  nose  of  a  coon  basking  in  the  sun,  just 


COUSINS    THREE    OF    HIGH    DEGREE.  189 

above  the  top  of  the  hollow,  and  called  to  the  tenant, 
"There's  a  coon  in  that  tree." 

"Yes,  sir,  and  he's  been  there  several  seasons,  and 
as  I  am  not  allowed  to  cut  the  tree  down,  he  seems 
to  defy  me.  I  have  set  traps,  and  my  dog  has  watched 
him,  but  he  won't  watch  him  any  more.  I  think 
they  have  had  a  fight  and  he's  got  the  worst  of  it. 
Well,  I  've  shot  him,  and  I  know  I  've  hit  him,  but 
it's  all  of  no  use;  and  the  villain  has  several  times 
got  one  of  rny  chickens." 

To  this  our  friend  said,  "We'll  have  a  hunt  to-night, 
and  I'll  catch  him."  He  was  told  that  it  would  be 
of  no  use.  But  he  returned  with  two  men  and  a 
ladder.  A  ball  of  cotton  tied  up  compactly  was  fastened 
to  a  rope.  The  ball  was  soaked  in  kerosene  oil. 
A  man  ascended  the  tree  and,  having  seated  himself 
astride  a  branch,  he  set  fire  to  the  ball,  then  lowered 
the  blazing  mass  down  into  the  deep  retreat  of  the 
coon. 

This  was  a  new  enemy,  and  the  disconcerted  animal 
came  with  a  rush  to  the  top  of  the  hole,  and  looked 
at  the  man  with  such  a  desperate  gaze  that  he  cried 
in  fright,  "He's  coming  for  me." 

"Pull  up  your  fire-ball,  quick,  and  stick  it  in  his 
face !"  shouted  the  leader.  This  the  man  did,  dousing  the 
blazing  mass  into  the  animal's  face,  which  caused  it 
to  fall  heavily  to  the  ground.  The  beast  ran  for  the 
meadow,  and  the  dog  pursued.  The  raccoon  had  to  stop 
to  fight  off  the  dog,  which  gave  the  men  time  to  come 
up,  and  a  club  settled  the  business. 

The  next  day  there  was  a  meeting  of  a  corporation 


190  ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

at  the  village  a  few  miles  distant.  Mine  host  who 
was  to  get  up  the  dinner  on  the  occasion  served 
up  the  coon  for  variety.  It  was  said  to  have  a  wild 
gamy  taste,  but  a  little  strong.  The  fact  was  that 
not  one  of  the  guests  asked  to  have  his  plate  replenished 
from  that  dish. 

It  was  quite  different,  however,  on  another  occasion. 
Our  family  physician  had  captured  a  coon,  and,  having 
skinned  it,  the  carcass  was  given  to  an  aged  colored 
man.  Meeting  him  the  next  day  the  doctor  addressed 
the  old  man,  "Well,  Pete,  how  did  the  coon  go?" 
"Oh,  yaas,  marsa;  him  was  an  excrutiating  dish! 
I  'sure  you,  marsa,  if  der  white  folks  would  only  put 
away  de  prejudise  dey  would  find  coon  is  most  judicious 
eatin'.  If  coon  was  plenty  it  would  mos'  beat  bacon ! " 

The  fact  must  go  on  the  record  that  Procyon,  like 
his  superiors,  can  become  a  sot  upon  opportunity.  A 
publican  in  Nebraska  had  two  tame  coons,  one  of  which 
being  tamer  than  his  companion  was  allowed  wider 
freedom  in  the  saloon.  He  soon  acquired  an  appetite 
for  strong  drink,  and  even  became  an  adept  in  practice 
at  the  bar;  for  if  it  was  not  given  him  he  knew  how 
to  help  himself.  This  miserable  craving  actually  sharp- 
ened the  animal's  wits.  He  would  stretch  himself  on 
his  back  under  the  tap  of  the  beer-barrel,  put  his  paws 
on  the  stop-cock,  and  manage  to  turn  it  but  a  little, 
and  so  let  the  beer  trickle  into  his  mouth,  until  he  had 
got  his  fill. 

If  not  caught  in  the  act  the  liquid  would  flow  on 
the  floor,  for  he  did  not  know  enough  to  stop  the  tap 
by  turning  it  back.  Intoxication  soon  followed,  and 


COUSINS    THREE    OF    HIGH    DEGREE.  191 

the  silly  conduct  and  stagger  of  the  drunken  coon 
afforded  a  few  minutes  of  amusement  to  his  bipedal 
admirers,  who  knew  how  it  was  themselves.  His  com- 
panion never  learned  the  trick,  and  so  led  a  more 
commendable  life.  It  should  be  added  that  a  drunken 
coon  does  not  become  hilarious.  Alcoholic  action  in 
these  lowly  brutes  is  after  a  few  moments  of  seeming 
astonishment  little  more  than  a  stupid  muddling  of 
the  brain. 

I  have  found  in  the  lore  of  the  native  woodman 
a  belief  prevailing  that  there  are  two  kinds  of  coons, 
the  tree  coons  and  the  bank  coons.  The  former,  it  is 
said,  is  the  larger,  and  has  blacker  feet.  There  is 
but  one  species,  though  the  difference  of  habit  is  inter- 
esting, as  the  one  nests  in  hollow  trees,  the  other 
in  burrows  made  in  the  banks  of  ditches  and  streams. 

Said  a  coon-hunter  to  me:  "Once  I  and  another 
man  were  going  by  the  side  of  a  deep  ditch,  when 
my  dog  gave  tongue,  and  in  other  ways  showed  that 
a  coon  was  near.  The  truth  was  we  were  standing 
over  its  nest,  a  hole  in  the  side  of  the  bank,  reached 
under  our  feet.  We  dug  downward  into  it  and  routed 
the  animal,  which  we  caught.  The  nest  was  fine,  and 
was  made  up  of  leaves,  moss,  and  pine  needles,  and  was 
about  six  feet  from  the  entrance.  That  was  a  knowing 
coon, — for  no  hollow  tree  could  be  so  snug  and  warm." 

In  some  instances  these  burrows  have  a  place  of 
egress,  as  well  as  of  entrance.  It  was  a  brother  of  the 
man.  I  have  just  mentioned,  who  told  me  that  he  found 
two  coon-burrows  in  one  bank,  and  that  both  had 
a  place  to  go  in  and  one  to  come  out.  Said  he: 


192  ANIMAL   MEMOIRS. 

"  I  took  out  of  one  of  them  two  kitten  coons,  which 
cried  like  little  babies.  I  thought  of  taking  them  home 
to  bring  them  up,  but  their  crying  overcame  me,  so 
I  put  them  back,  —  but  placed  them  at  the  wrong  hole. 
I  could  not  make  them  go  in,  so  I  let  them  alone, 
and  they  nosed  about  until  they  found  their  own 
burrow,  which  they  entered  at  once." 

And  I  will  add  to  the  woodman's  list,  the  "  cat- 
coon,"  an  eccentric  outcome  of  the  country,  being  a 
curious  hybrid  race,  once  known  but  never  accounted 
for,  except  conjecturally.  The  specimen  I  will  instance 
was  a  beautiful  creature,  with  a  finer  fur  than  of  cat 
or  coon.  She  had  a  mincing  gait,  neither  feline  or 
plantigrade,  a  triangular  coonish  head,  and  ate  with 
her  hands.  Throughout,  the  coon-nature  was  pre- 
dominant. Though  very  gentle,  even  caressing  when 
humored,  she  was  fury  itself  when  crossed  in  temper. 
A  rash  person  once  lifted  the  animal  by  its  beautiful 
bushy  tail,  but  only  once,  for  she  punished  him  with 
the  ferocity  of  a  tiger.  She  never  retreated  before  a 
dog,  but  many  a  dog  retired  in  dismay.  Coon-like 
she  was  nocturnal  in  habit,  —  drowsy  by  day,  and 
playful  at  night. 

It  is  now  in  order  to  give  a  chapter  to  coon-hunting, 
and  cooners,  as  those  hunters  are  often  called.  As  the 
poor  things  are  put  to  their  best  wits  to  avoid  or  offset 
the  wiles  of  the  sportsman,  these  men  are  as  a  class 
possessed  of  much  information  respecting  the  mental 
manifestations  of  the  animals  they  pursue. 


CHAPTEK    XVI. 


COO^S,    COO1STERS,    A]ST>    COOOTNG. 

HE  word  educabilia  has  been  used  as  applied 
to  animals  of  a  relatively  higher  intelligence, 
or  such  as  admit  of  improvement  by  increase, 
which  really  is  education.  It  is  observable  of  wild 
animals  living  in  the  neighborhood  of  human  settle- 
ments, that  they  get  to  be  more  knowing  than  their 
kith  away  in  the  wilds.  The  fox  whose  burrow  is  not 
far  from  the  hamlet  is  a  shrewder  fellow  than  the  one 
who  has  never  heard  gun  or  hound.  Even  Bob  White 
in  summer-time  is  a  merry,  social  bird,  coming  almost 
to  one's  feet  and  piping  forth  in  flute-like  notes  his  all 
day-long  inquiry:  "Do  you  know  Bob  White?"  But 
when  the  "  open-time"  comes,  with  the  fall  of  the  autumn 
leaves,  Bob's  spirit  sinks  within  him;  his  light-hearted- 
ness  is  under  a  cloud, — for  the  fowler  is  around.  Poor 
Bob!  all  at  once  he  is  more  circumspect.  He  trembles 
at  the  sound  of  a  gun,  for  he  knows  his  life  is  in  peril. 
He  hardly  dares  pipe  his  little  vespers,  or  give  the  call 
that  gets  the  bevy  together  at  bed-time.  He  is  filled 
with  apprehension. 

And  throughout  the  domain   of  animal  life   this  is 

193 


194  ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

the    general    experience,  —  exposure    to    man's    devices 
brightens  the  animal  intelligence. 

It  is  the  misfortune  of  the  raccoon  that  it  is  betrayed 
too  often  by  its  own  uniformity  of  habit  as  to  its 
retreats,  for  it  almost  persistently  hides  in  hollow  trees, 
—  as  runs  the  negro  doggerel : 

"'Possum  in  the  gum-tree, 
Coonie  in  the  hollow." 

These  hollows  furnished  by  decay  are  generally  in 
the  deciduous  trees;  that  is,  those  which  shed  their 
leaves,  as  opposed  to  the  pines  and  other  evergreens. 
They  are  mostly  the  oaks,  maples,  chestnuts,  and 
bilstead,  or  gum-tree.  As  this  last-named  tree  loves 
the  swamps,  and  is  thus  sometimes  accessible  only  with 
difficulty,  the  raccoon  is  safer  in  such  a  retreat;  which 
shows  the  wisdom  of  the  woodcraft  in  the  negro  melody. 

Generally,  it  may  be  said,  cooning  is  an  avocation 
of  the  thriftless.  However  poor  the  larder  of  the  char- 
coal-burner or  chopper,  be  he  black  or  white,  he  must 
keep  a  mangy  half-starved  yellow  dog,  known  as  a 
"cooner,"  —  an  epithet  often  applied  to  both  the  owner 
and  his  beast.  These  coon  dogs  have  a  kind  of  cuteness 
for  this  sort  of  hunting;  but  the  owner  of  a  "gentle- 
manly dog"  must  regard  them  as  curs  of  a  decidedly 
low  degree.  There  is  not  in  them  any  special  strain, 
or  outcome  of  training.  Their  fitness  is  in  an  instinct 
of  environment.  On  asking  the  owner  of  one  of  these 
brutes  how  it  came  by  its  ability  at  "cooning,"  the 
answer  satisfied  the  inquiry: 

"Well,  I   reckon   Gipp   is  a  full-blooded   cur,  for  he 


COONS,  COON  KUS,  AND  COONING.          195 

has  had  no  training,  but  has  come  by  it  quite  easily." 
And  so  it  is  with  the  "cooner's"  children  also, — 
even  the  little  toddler  takes  to  it  naturally.  Hence  I 
will  narrate  a  few  incidents  occurring  in  the  experience 
of  some  charcoal-burners: 

"The  Coaler's  Coons." 

Without  mentioning  time  or  place,  except  in  a  general 
way,  I  will  state,  —  it  was  in  a  pine  region  where  coal- 
ing was  carried  on,  that  is,  burning  charcoal,  and 
it  was  at  the  close  of  May  or  the  beginning  of  June. 
The  day  was  fine,  and  the  three  small  children  of  a 
coaler's  family  went  into  the  woods.  The  household 
cur,  or  coon-dog,  was  with  them.  Plucking  the  wild- 
flowers,  and  straying  without  aim,  the  little  ones  got 
deep  into  the  forest.  The  dog  scented  a  coon's  tracks 
near  a  lone  old  oak,  a  patriarchal  tree  overtopping 
the  scrub,  or  plebeian  pines.  The  dog  set  up  a  noisy 
proclamation  of  his  discovery,  and  as  he  barked  kept 
running  around,  and  looking  up  into  the  tree. 

And  well  did  the  little  ones  know  what  it  meant. 
Their  tiny  feet  were  instantly  set  homeward,  leaving 
the  dog  barking  at  his  might.  They  met  their  father 
with  another  man  going  to  dinner,  and  the  three 
cried,  almost  in  chorus :  "  0  Pappy !  Gipp  has  treed 
a  coon !  and  we  Ve  left  him  barking  up  a  big  tree ! " 

There  was  some  excitement  at  the  chopper's  hut, 
for  the  keen  ears  of  the  woodman  could  detect  the 
barking  of  the  dog.  "We'll  have  dinner  first,"  said 
the  coaler  to  his  fellow.  "Gipp '11  take  care  of  that 


196  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

coon ;  and  it 's  my  notion  it 's  a  she ;  and  there  may  be 
a  litter  of  young  ones,  so  we  '11  take  the  box  -  trap 
with  us."  Accordingly  the  meal  was  despatched,  and 
the  two  men  started  for  the  woods. 

They  were  soon  at  the  tree,  where  Gipp,  true  to  his 
reputation,  was  still  "giving  tongue."  A  deep  hollow  in 
the  old  oak  had  an  opening  above.  This  was  stopped, 
and  a  hole  was  cut  in  the  bole  at  the  bottom  of  the 
decay.  Against  this  hole  the  box  was  set,  and  fire 
being  let  down  at  the  top,  the  animal  was  driven 
into  the  trap.  There  was  a  nest,  and  in  it  a  litter 
of  three  little  ones,  about  a  day  old.  They  were  plump, 
smooth,  tiny  things,  hardty  larger  than  mice,  but  broad 
for  their  length,  and  they  were  blind.  Said  one  of  the 
men:  "They  looked  like  little  moles." 

The  mother  nursed  her  little  ones  in  captivity,  and 
not  until  the  twenty-first  day  did  they  open  their  eyes. 
The  old  coon  became  reconciled  to  her  cage,  and  enjoyed 
the  occasional  presence  of  a  puppy  terrier,  recently 
arrived;  the  two  actually  playing  in  a  dog-like  way. 

The  little  coons  very  soon  became  engaging  pets,  and 
famous  in  the  region.  They  were  companions  of  the 
children,  even  attempting  liberties  with  old  Gipp,  of 
whom  it  should  be  said  that,  though  he  held  resentment 
well  in  check,  yet  he  did  sometimes  show  his  teeth, 
and  especially  viewed  the  conduct  of  the  pup  with 
disgust,  or  as  that  of  a  cur  not  yet  old  enough  to 
comprehend  the  difference  between  a  canine  and  a  coon, 
as  concerns  respectability. 

One  of  the  pets  was  sold  for  five  dollars,— no  trifle 
to  the  coaler.  The  two  left  were  almost  given  full 


COONS,  COONERS,  AND    COONING.  197 

freedom.  As  a  chopper,  a  good  deal  of  the  man's  time 
was  spent  in  the  woods,  whither  his  pets  often  accompa- 
nied him.  While  he  was  at  his  work  they  would  roam 
without  restraint,  climbing  trees,  and  scouring  among 
the  bushes,  and  they  would  even  lie  in  wait  by  the 
side  of  the  little  rill,  and  for  a  tid-bit  snatch  out  a 
minnow.  The  man's  work  done,  he  would  call  up  his 
pets  by  voice  and  whistle,  and  they  would  follow 
him  home.  Meanwhile  the  mother  coon  had  escaped, 
and  was  seen  no  more. 

As  soon  as  the  cold  weather  came,  fat  as  porpoises, 
the  pet  coons  took  to  the  woods,  and  were  not  seen 
again.  And  this  is  the  usual  story  of  a  tame  rac- 
coon. In  its  natural  state  this  animal,  the  same  as 
the  bear,  hibernates,  although  its  winter  sleep  is  not 
so  profound  or  continuous  as  that  of  Bruin. 

The    Old    Coon-Hunter. 

I  will  now  introduce  an  original  character,  and  in 
the  main  he  shall  tell  his  own  story. 

It  was  a  golden  day  in  summer  when  I  inter- 
viewed the  old  sportsman.  His  place  might  be 
called  the  Sportsman's  Resort,  himself  being  an  adept 
at  rod  and  gun.  Though  well  up  in  woodcraft 
generally,  I  found  him  especially  rich  in  coon-lore, 
as  it  was  said  of  him:  "He'd  got  cooning  down  to 
a  fine  point."  So  far  from  being  the  thriftless  creature, 
which  such  an  accomplishment  is  usually  taken  rt> 
imply,  he  was  a  hale  old  man,  with  a  clear  head  and 
a,  comfortable  home. 

Through  a   long  life  this  laborious  night-sport  had 


198  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

been  his  passion,  in  which  he  showed  determination, 
energy,  and  skill.  In  this  he  had  his  admirers 
among  the  craft,  for  he  boasted  that  he  never  lost 
but  one  coon.  His  house  was  near  the  water,  under 
the  shadow  of  some  aged  willows,  beneath  one  of  which 
we  sat,  I  acting  as  an  interviewer. 

Being  a  stranger  to  him,  he  was  at  first  a  little 
shy  of  me,  and  his  talk  cautious  and  hesitating. 
But  he  soon  fired  up  on  his  favorite  theme,  becom- 
ing at  times  almost  pictorial  in  his  vivid  realism, 
though  often  indulging  in  certain  monosyllables  more 
forcible  than  polite.  I  will  try  to  be  true  to  the  old 
man's  sketchiness,  even  though  I  may  have  to  tone 
down  his  color  as  a  verbal  expressionist. 

To  the  question,  were  there  any  raccoons  about?  He 
answered :  "  There  are  some  yet.  But  as  the  woods  get 
cut  down,  the  raccoon  gets  cut  up.  Forty  years  ago 
these  woods  of  Middlesex  and  Monmouth  were  alive 
with  coons.  Now  the  woods  are  going  fast,  and  of 
course  game  must  go  too.  Still,  when  I  take  a  night  to 
cooning  I  expect  to  bring  home  something.  For  years 
back  I  have  only  been  able  to  take  Saturday  night; 
and  yet  one  winter,  in  Grant's  administration,  I  caught 
sixty-four  raccoons ! " 

"  Please  tell  me  something  about  the  coon's  family 
affairs." 

"Well,  the  mother  raccoon  could  suckle  six  young- 
ones  at  a  time,  if  she  had  them.  But  the  most  I  have 
seen  in  one  litter  is  five,  and  the  smallest  number  was 
three.  I  should  think  four  would  be  the  average.  She 
is  very  attentive  to  her  kittens,  and  they  keep  by  the 


COONS,  COONERS,  AND    COONING.  199 

mother  a  good  while  after  they  are  weaned,  —  in  fact  till 
they  are  nearly  full  grown;  for  we  catch  sometimes  a 
mother-coon  with  her  family  of  young  ones,  among  the 
corn  jags  even  at  the  end  of  November.  They  are 
pretty  well-grown  by  that  time,  and  certainly  more 
than  fully  weaned,  for  generally  they  are  littered  by 
the  close  of  May. 

"  And  even  the  father -coon  stays  by  them  for  a  while 
ai  first,  wlion  they  are  very  helpless,  for  they  do  not 
open  their  eyes  till  they  are  twenty-one  days  old.  The 
he-coon  stays  by  the  one  female  for  the  one  season, 
whether  he  ever  goes  longer  with  her  I  can't  say,  only 
that  he  is  true  to  one  at  a  time.  So  you  see  there  are 
some  good  points  in  a  raccoon's  family  relations." 

I  asked  if  the  raccoon  was  provident  in  the  matter 
of  food.  "No,"  said  the  hunter.  "It  is  hardly  neces- 
sary. Nature  looks  out  for  them  in  this  respect.  They 
sleep  in  winter,  —  and  go  into  that  sleep  almost  round 
with  fat.  The  coon,  woodchuck,  opossum,  and  bear 
store  up  fat  for  the  winter,  and  on  this  they  live.  You 
know  a  bear  in  winter  sucks  the  soles  of  his  feet,  and 
in  spring  he  is  such  a  tender-foot,  that  he  can  hardly 
travel.  Now  the  raccoon  has  a  sucking  habit  too,  but 
it's  the  paws  he  sucks,  and  when  doing  so  he  looks 
like  a  muff,  or  a  ball  of  fur,  you  can't  see  any  shape 
or  anything  of  the  beast,  except  fur.  He  comes  out  in 
spring  as  poor  as  a  stake,  for  the  fat  is  all  gone." 

"Then  it  would  seem,"  said  I,  seeking  to  draw  the 
old  man  out  further,  "  that  the  coon  is  a  do-less  ani- 
mal after  all."  To  this  the  reply  came  with  a  snap,  as 
if  speaking  for  a  favorite: 


200  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

"  Oh,  no !  That  is  n't  it,  sir.  The  coon  is  a  good 
provider  in  its  way.  It  has  to  store  up  fat,  or  it  won't 
have  it  when  needed.  Don't  you  see  it  has  to  look  out 
for  a  harvest  by  tending  to  the  growing  time.  The  rac- 
coon is  a  strong  feeder,  and  in  the  face  of  so  many 
enemies  it  has  to  do  a  little  hard  work  in  getting  sup- 
plies. 

"  They  have  their  foraging  grounds.  You  can  often 
see  a  coon's  tracks  by  the  stream,  or  by  some  still 
water,  or  swamp,  where  they  have  been  frogging,  or 
fishing.  They  eat  almost  anything,  and  no  doubt 
berries  come  in  for  a  part  of  the  supply.  But  the 
point  is,  they  have  their  own  beats,  much  as  bears 
do,  and  they  have  to  be  very  active  in  searching 
for  food,  if  they  are  to  get  into  condition." 

I  admitted  that  the  hunter  had  made  out  his  case, 
when  he  seemed  to  grow  in  enthusiasm,  adding: 

"  What  you  call  providence  is  well  known  to  coon- 
hunters  in  this  fact.  The  coon  knows  for  miles  the 
perfect  lay  of  the  woods.  Every  burrow,  or  hiding- 
place, —  and  especially  every  hollow  tree.  When  the 
animal  is  found  abroad  foraging,  he  makes  for  the 
nearest  well-known  hiding -tree.  Now  all  these  points 
are  carried  in  the  coon's  mind.  Besides  it  has  its 
nesting-tree,  —  the  place  for  its  winter  sleep.  And  on 
this  point  there  must  be  some  agreement  among 
them;  for  it  sometimes  happens  that  several  will  nest 
together.  I  have  no  doubt  it  is  warmer  to  do  so. 
But  in  some  way  they  have  their  own  trees.  I  sup- 
pose because  it  is  safer,  and  perhaps  more  comfortable, 
one  tree  is  known  to  the  raccoon  as  the  bed-tree,  where 


COONS,  COONERS,  AND    COONING.  201 

it  stays,  and  sleeps  in  the  winter,  and  even  in  sum- 
mer, as  being  the  safer,  it  is  often  the  favorite  retreat." 

I  ventured  to  interpose  a  fact  illustrating  the  tact  of 
a  raccoon,  when  cut  off  by  the  dogs,  but  which  did 
not  occur  upon  a  set  hunt. 

"A  friend,"  I  remarked,  "was  out  with  his  dog.  It 
came  upon  a  coon  which  it  pursued,  the  animal  keep- 
ing along  the  bank  of  the  stream.  At  a  favorable 
spot  it  took  deliberately  to  the  creek,  swimming  down 
stream,  as  the  dog  on  the  bank  was  running  up.  The 
dog  lost  the  scent,  when  the  coon  came  out  of  the 
water." 

Besides  this  I  added  the  instance  in  which  a  friend 
told  me  that  they  came  near  losing  two  valuable 
dogs.  The  raccoon  being  hotly  pressed  took  to  the 
water,  and  the  dogs  plunged  in  and  swam  out  to  him. 
This  seemed  to  be  a  part  of  the  plan  of  the  saga- 
cious creature,  for  it  handled  both  dogs  so  skillfully 
that  if  their  owner  had  not  gone  to  their  relief  they 
would  certainly  have  been  drowned.  That  coon  got  off 
unhurt;  but  the  dogs  were  badly  cut  up. 

The  old  hunter  listened  in  a  professional  way,  and 
replied :  "  Yes,  I  Ve  heard  of  a  coon's  saving  his 
bacon  by  that  trick,  though  none  ever  got  that  dodge 
on  me.  But,  big  words  all  aside,  I  tell  you  a  raccoon 
has  pretty  tall  instincts,  and  some  principle  too !  He 
sticks  to  his  own  kind  through  thick  and  thin,  —  and 
he  is  quick  to  help  when  trouble  is  at  hand. 

"When  on  a  hunt,  which  is  generally  at  night,  we 
come  up  with  the  dogs  that  have  treed  the  coon,  we 
build  a  fire  so  that  the  dogs,  and  all  of  us,  may  see 


202  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

what  we  are  about;  for  even  if  it  is  moonlight  it  is 
dark  enough  in  the  thick  woods  and  swamps.  Some- 
times we  have  to  cut  the  tree  down,  but  sometimes  a 
coon  will  come  out  of  the  bed  in  the  opening  up  in 
the  tree.  It  does  occasionally  happen  that  the  coon 
gets  excited,  and  actually  springs  down  from  the  limb ; 
and  if  there  was  only  one  dog  it  would  go  hard  with 
him,  but  there  being  more  the  odds  are  against  the 
coon.  This  the  spunky  little  fellow  soon  finds  out; 
then,  too,  the  dogs  have  the  aid  and  encouragement 
of  the  hunters.  At  this  pass  the  coon  utters  its  cry 
of  distress;  and,  would  you  believe  it!  every  coon  in 
that  bed-tree  will  come  at  once  to  the  relief  of  their 
comrade  in  trouble. 

"The  scene  is  now  a  lively  one  you  may  guess, 
and  the  excitement  is  high,  which  began  at  the  first 
yelp  which  told  that  the  dogs  were  at  a  coon-tree. 
They  may  be  almost  a  mile  away,  but  the  night  is 
still,  and  we  can  hear  them.  It  is  perhaps  moonlight, 
but  when  we  get  into  the  woods  it's  dark,  and  a 
lantern  stands  us  well.  We  strike  sometimes  a  bee- 
line  for  the  place,  following  up  the  sound  of  the 
dogs. 

"When  we  arrive  the  dogs  grow  furious  in  their 
eagerness,  and  you  'd  take  the  barking  and  yelping 
for  animals  gone  crazy.  Maybe  it's  a  swamp,  and 
considerable  water  in  it.  Well,  the  fire  is  built,  and 
the  shadows  of  the  trees  have  a  spooky  look,  and  the 
three  dogs  are  doing  their  best  to  get  the  coons  scared 
out.  But  they  don't  scare  much;  and  if  they  only 
knew  it,  their  safety  is  to  stay  where  they  are,  and 


COONS,  COONERS,  AND  COONING.         203 

keep  still,  for  the  water  of  the  swamp  gives  them 
MM  advantage,  as  it  would  not  be  an  easy  job  to  cut 
the  tree  down  in  the  water. 

"But  we  have  one  dog  whose  long  cooning  career 
has  taught  him  a  trick  that  I  never  knew  any  other 
coon-dog  to  get  the  hang  of.  Now  that  we  have  come 
up,  and  the  fire  gives  its  light,  —  in  a  word,  now  that 
the  dogs  know  that  we  are  with  them,  they  increase 
their  yelping,  —  that  is  two  of  them  do;  but  this  old 
dog  now  keeps  his  tongue.  Soon  the  others  will  stop 
to  pant  a  moment.  Then  it  is  that  he  lets  off  his 
accomplishment.  He  actually  in  that  moment  of  silence 
of  the  other  dogs  sets  up  the  coon  cry  of  distress! 
It  is  not  in  the  least  bit  like  a  dog's  bark  or  yelp, 
but  the  strangest  mingle-mangle  of  sounds, — something 
like  the  jerky  grunts  and  little  piercing  squeals  of  a 
hungry  pig  crying  in  the  sty  for  its  dinner.  Now  up 
in  the  tree  at  the  edge  of  the  hollow  you  can  see  by 
the  light  of  the  fire  the  white  tip  of  the  raccoon's 
nose;  for  that  cry  has  disturbed  his  peace  of  mind 
enough  to  bring  him  to  peep  out  of  the  hole. 

"But  the  two  dogs  now  have  got  breath,  and  they 
set  to  with  their  noisy  yelping.  Then  they  stop  for 
a  moment  again;  and  then  again  comes  that  cry  from 
the  old  dog  like  a  coon  in  trouble. 

"Now  that  old  coon  can't  stand  it  any  longer.  He 
can't  count  noses  in  the  bed-nest  to  see  if  all  are  home, 
and  thinks  one  of  the  family  is  getting  grief  among 
the  dogs.  So  with  a  spring  from  the  tree  he  is  down 
to  help.  Poor  thing !  he  has  given  himself  away  badly, 
and  though  he  fights  like  mad,  yet  the  odds  are  too 


204  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

much,  for  all  the  dogs  are  at  him.  He  is  getting 
worsted  fast.  And  now  goes  up  a  real  coon-cry  of 
distress,  and  that  fetches  them ;  for  one  by  one  down 
they  come,  every  coon  out  of  the  bed-tree. 

"The  work  is  lively  now;  and  but  for  the  aid  given 
by  the  hunters  the  dogs  would  go  to  the  wall.  The 
coon  has  a  way  of  embracing  a  dog  on  the  back,  and 
sawing  away  at  the  head  with  its  shear-like  teeth, 
and  with  every  chance  clawing  with  its  sharp  nails 
at  the  face  and  eyes  of  the  dogs." 

I   asked  the  old  man   if  a  dog  was  always  a  mate 
for  a  raccoon.     He  answered: 

"No,  it's  a  mighty  good  dog  that  will  take  the 
punishment  some  coons  can  give.  A  poor  dog  would 
show  tail  at  the  first  dose.  I  think  the  raccoon  has 
not  only  game  but  science  when  he  does  set  to.  But 
in  the  long  run  there  is  more  science  in  the  dog.  Take 
the  coon  that  has  his  bed-burrow  in  a  bank.  The  dog 
will  set  at  the  hole,  and  bark  and  scratch.  Often 
if  the  coon  would  keep  still,  but  for  the  help  of  the 
hunter,  he  would  tire  out  the  dog,  and  so  save  his  own 
pelt. 

"But  the  coon  makes  the  mistake  of  meeting  the 
enemy  half-way.  That  is,  he  will  try  to  face  the  dog  in 
the  mouth  of  the  burrow,  and  so  if  he  does  not  put  his 
foot  in  it,  he  does  put  his  nose  into  the  strong  jaws  of 
the  dog.  And  the  dog  holds  on,  too,  until  he  has  drawn 
the  coon  out  of  his  burrow,  and  then  it  is  all  up  with 
coonie,  you  may  believe,  for  that  nose  —  well  you  know 
what  the  lawyers  say,  once  in  chancery,  you're  like 
to  stay.  Though  I  own  there  may  be  exceptions;  the 


IS 

• 


COONS,  COONERS,  AND  COONING.         205 

coon  may  get  out,  and  the  dog  may  get  in;  but  not 
likely." 

"That  word  chancery,  reminds  me.  I  once  took 
two  city  blades  to  the  Horse  Shoe  Bay  to  squid  for 
bluefish.  One  was  a  sprig  of  the  law.  A  fine  fish, 
a  regular  boomer,  took  his  line.  '  You  're  in  chancery ! ' 
he  shouted,  but  losing  his  head  he  lost  his  balance 
too,  and  the  pull  of  that  fish  was  too  much;  and  over- 
board he  went.  The  fish  got  away,  and  we  had  to 
be  lively  to  get  the  poor  fellow  himself  out  of  chan- 
cery." 

The  old  man's  narrative  thus  far  was  given  in  a 
plain  matter-of-fact  style.  The  above  was  his  first 
gush  of  metaphor,  —  and  it  begat  hearty  laughter. 
Though  unassuming,  there  was  a  staid,  easy  air  in 
the  hunter's  talk  which  all  at  once  dropped  into  a 
bit  of  dogmatic  seriousness. 

Said  he :  "I  remember  when  a  lad  an  old  preacher 
who,  after  giving  out  his  text,  used  to  make  a  pause, 
and  then  say :  *  Brethren,  there 's  mighty  deep  doctrine 
here.'  So  it  came  to  be  a  saying  in  our  parts.  And 
it  is  so  with  this  raccoon  business.  It  is  too  deep  for 
me  to  fathom.  The  coon,  like  the  bear,  does  his  forag- 
ing almost  entirely  at  night." 

Here  the  old  man  made  a  long  and  somewhat 
abrupt  pause.  He  seemed  hesitating  whether  or  not 
to  enunciate  the  '  deep  doctrine/  as  if  suspecting  his 
auditor  to  be  of  feeble  faith.  However,  as  one  whose 
mind  was  made  up  to  dispense  the  truth  as  he 
believed  it,  he  resumed  his  talk. 

"I    am     now     going    to     tell     you     something     for 


206  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

sacred  truth.  Coons  are  great  froggers  and  fishers; 
and  just  here  comes  the  queer  thing:  they  fish  at 
night,  and  with  their  eyes  shut !  Somehow  they  can 
feel  the  nearness  of  a  minnow,  when  with  their  sharp 
claws,  like  little  hooks,  they  yank  it  out  of  the  water 
as  quick  as  the  snap  of  a  spring- trap.  TJiey  never 
look  ivhen  fishing  !  " 

The  last  sentence  wras  uttered  with  impressive  grav- 
ity. With  a  little  not  unpleasant  archness  in  the  tone 
he  continued : 

"As  this  is  rather  deep  doctrine,  I  asked  one  of 
you  book-men  to  explain  it  for  me;  but  he  was  too 
high  up  for  my  figures.  He  said  it  wras  a  way  that 
thoughtful  folks  had;  and  that  he  himself,  when  he 
wanted  to  see  into  a  dark  subject,  had  to  shut  his  eyes, 
and,  so  to  speak,  look  into  it  mentally." 

When  attempting  to  extract  the  wood-lore  from  these 
unlettered  men,  the  inquirer  should  measure  his  man. 
Even  on  their  own  lines  some  have  a  high  regard  for 
"  book-knowledge " ;  but  others  hold  it  in  contempt. 
Believing,  to  use  the  old  man's  own  phrase,  that  he 
was  paying  out  a  little  line  to  me,  I  said: 

"You  were  too  much  for  your  man,  and  he  was 
glad  to  retreat  in  a  verbal  fog.  But  there  is  this  fact 
in  the  case.  The  carnivorous  animals  have  whiskers, 
as  we  call  them,  though  scientific  men  call  these 
face  bristles  tentaculata,  each  one  being  an  exceedingly 
sensitive  organ.  Each  of  these  bristles  has  its  base  or 
root  set  in  a  little  pit  or  follicle,  and  the  inner  sides 
of  this  little  pit  are  lined  with  nerves.  So  that  the 
sensation  of  touch  is  exquisitely  delicate.  You  could 


: 


COONS,  COONERS,  AND    COONING.  207 

not  breathe  against  a  cat's  whiskers  without  her  know- 
ing it;  and  even  when  Tabbie  is  asleep,  only  pass 
your  hand  over  her  moustache  and  each  hair  is  on 
the  alert,  for  a  battery  of  a  hundred  nerve  cells  sends 
its  combined  charge  of  sensation  to  her  brain.  May  it 
not  be  that  in  fishing  and  frogging,  if  it  be  true  that 
then  the  coon  keeps  its  eyes  closed,  it  does  so  for  two 
reasons;  the  one  to  save  the  eyes  from  the  effect  of 
the  water,  and  the  other  to  fix  the  sense  by  concentra- 
tion of  attention,  so  that  the  least  sensation  given  by 
the  tentaculata  can  be  perceived?" 

My  little  lecture  on  anatomy  set  me  on  the  pinnacle 
of  the  old  cooner's  esteem.  He  declared  "it  let  in  the 
daylight."  He  went  on  to  say  that  raccoons  were 
good  swimmers,  but  could  not  dive,  —  a  fact  which 
might  be  easily  drawn  from  their  thick  fur. 

I  asked  if  the  tame  raccoon  was  not  capricious, 
adding  that  I  had  been  bitten  severely  by  a  pet 
coon.  "  Yes,"  he  said,  "  they  will  sometimes  forget 
themselves,  and  for  a  moment  be  a  little  savage.  My 
daughter  had  a  tame  coon.  He  was  very  gentle,  —  in 
fact,  fat  and  lazy.  He  would  lie  on  its  back  to  have 
her  tickle  him.  None  of  them  like  confinement,  and 
when  necessary  to  tie  him  up  we  would  have  to  hold 
it  down  by  sheer  force,  to  get  his  collar  on.  He  was 
very  cunning,  and  would  know  what  we  were  after. 

"I  said,  that  the  raccoon  could  not  dive,  but  I 
tell  you  this  one  could,  in  a  light-fingered  way. 
When  loose,  we  had  to  look  out  for  our  pockets,  for 
he  would  dive  into  them  all  round,  and  clean  them 
out! 


d> 

5 

red 


208  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

"  I   had   at  that  time  two  tame  alligators.     I  should 
think   each    was    two    feet    long.     One    night    the    pet 
coon   went   for  them.     I    don't    know,  but    I    think   it 
was,  like   a   dog,  jealous.     Well,  next  morning    such  a 
sight!     There   was   no   use   in   trying   to   match    or 
save  the  pieces.     They  were   cleaned  out   with   a  vei 
geance.     For   a   thorough    job,  I   thought  she  deserv< 
a     medal.      But     these     alligators,  —  they      are     queer 
beasts!    Do   you   know   that   they  can   turn   the  purest 
water   green   in   four   hours?     I've   seen    them    do 
many  a  time !  " 

It   would   never   have   done   to   ask    the    old    gentl< 
man   if    he   saw   anything   verdant    in    his   guest;    bi 
as    this    somewhat    staggered    belief,  I    set   it   down 
more   "  deep   doctrine " ;    and   fearing   to   be   asked   my 
opinion,  I   adroitly  turned   the   thought    by   saying  : 

"  Only  the  other    day  there  was  a  visitor   at    Asbury 
Park  who  had  a  tame  raccoon  which  accompanied  hii 
in  the  streets.      Several  times  a  day  they  passed  a  cei 
tain    drug-store,   when    the   colored    porter    teased    the 
gentle   animal.     He   did    it   once    too   often,  and   to  his 
dismay  the  pet  went   for    his    persecutor.     There  was  a 
hurried    run    from   the    street   into  the    store,  and  with 
commendable   celerity   the   man   got   the   back-door  be- 
tween himself  and  his  pursuer." 

"Well,"  said  the  old  hunter,  "that's  what  I  should 
call  Raccoon  going  for  Zip  Coon ;  and  Zip  would  have 
got  his  deserts  had  the  coon  caught  him.  But  do  you 
know  that  cooning  West  has  no  music  in  it  like  in 
the  East?  They  use  still-mouthed  dogs  in  the  West. 
The  raccoon  there  is  cunning  enough  to  choose  the 


ry 

r 

hft 


COONS,  COONERS    AND    COONING.  209 

biggest  trees,  where  the  timber  is  heavy,  so  that  the 
trees  are  too  large  to  be  cut  down ;  so  the  dogs,  when 
the  hunters  come  up,  must  be  still,  and  give  a  chance 
for  a  shot  at  the  animal  when  he  shows  himself  on 
the  tree." 

There  was  a  tone  of  pride,  yet  regret,  in  the  follow- 
ing, as  of  one  who  has  made  a  score  of  ninety-nine 
when  a  perfect  record  required  the  hundred. 

"  I  never  in  all  my  hunting  lost  but  one  coon. 
The  dogs  missed  him  somehow.  All  at  once  they 
gave  him  up.  We  tried  for  hours  to  get  on  his 
track,  but  it  was  no  use,  —  he  was  too  cute  for  us. 
The  morning  light  came,  and  we  went  home  without 
him.  I  think  the  rhyme  just  about  hits  it: 

"'The  spryest  bird  on  the  pond  is  the  loon, 
The  cutest  beast  in  the  tree  is  the  coon.' " 

More  might  be  given  of  this  native  lore  of  the 
hunter's.  I  have  written  this  much  of  the  old  cooner, 
because  of  coon-hunters  he  is  by  all  comparison  the 
most  intelligent  professional  that  I  have  come  across. 
Whether  North  or  South  cooning  is  not  the  sport  of 
which  the  respectable  will  boast.  The  lazy  and  the 
thriftless  on  both  sides  of  Mason  and  Dixon's  line 
will  give  his  best  strength  and  resources  to  this  pursuit, 
with  an  outlay  of  hard  labor  that  might,  with  wiser 
application,  insure  the  sweet  rewards  of  industry.  Yet, 
for  all  this,  the  sport  has  in  it,  if  the  physique  for 
endurance  be  not  wanting,  a  sort  of  fascination. 

A  distinction  which  makes  the  hunting  of  the 
opposum  tame,  and  that  of  the  raccoon  exciting,  I 


210  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

have  not  seen  mentioned.  The  professional  hunter 
has  respect  for  the  plucky  beast  that  "  dies  game," 
and  contempt  for  the  poor  thing  that  succumbs 
without  resistance.  But  these  animals  possess  forti- 
tude in  an  eminent  degree;  but  the  quality  of  the 
one  though  admirable,  of  the  other  is  despicable. 
The  opposum  will  submit  passively  to  be  kicked, 
and  violently  beaten,  and  show  no  sign  as  if  dead, — 
a  passive  endurance,  which  is  simply  astonishing.  But 
the  raccoon's  fortitude  is  of  a  nobler  kind.  A  coon 
in  the  crotch  of  a  tree  received  from  some  boys  six 
bullets.  A  seventh  ball  passed  through  one  of  the 
fore-feet.  The  poor  brute  tried  to  change  position, 
but  the  hinder  limbs  were  shattered  and  useless.  It 
then  in  deliberate  fury,  as  if  to  mend  matters,  with 
its  teeth  amputated  these  members,  dropping  them 
from  the  tree.  A  final  shot  dislodged  the  brave  little 
fellow,  who  fell  to  the  ground,  and  with  but  one  limb 
left,  attempted  battle  with  his  tormentors,  with  a  for- 
titude which  deserved  to  be  called  heroic. 

Despite  associations  not  very  elevating,  the  remem- 
brance of  a  rollicking  night  at  cooning,  when  one  was 
a  boy,  will  exhilarate  the  blood  of  old  age.  I  cannot 
avoid  extracting  from  a  friend's  letter  a  bit  of  senti- 
ment of  experience  had  in  the  pre-emancipation  days: 
"  Speaking  about  '  coons/  well  do  I  remember  what 
sport  we  used  to  have  in  hunting  them  in  the  South 
in  my  youth.  With  three  or  four  white  cronies,  a 
dozen  or  more  colored  servants,  and  as  many  '  yaller ' 
dogs,  then  away  to  swamps  and  river  bottoms,  and 
such  a  night  of  it ! " 


CHAPTER    XVII. 


COUSIN    TWO,    THE    COATI-MONDI. 

AM  now  going  to  relate  some  pleasant  recollec- 
tions of  a  little  animal  so  closely  related  to  the 
raccoon  in  some  structural  characters,  that  I 
have  already  called  it  the  coon's  cousin.  Unlike  the 
complete  history  just  given  of  the  raccoon,  I  can  only 
tell  of  Coati-Mondi  as  a  pet  in  confinement,  for, 
outside  of  books,  I  have  110  knowledge  of  its  ways 
in  its  native  tropical  forests. 

Sailors  on  their  return  voyage  from  South  America 
occasionally,  among  other  pets,  bring  a  small  animal, 
which,  because  of  its  long  nose,  they  invariably  call 
an  Anteater.  Thus  was  a  little  stranger  introduced 
to  our  care  a  few  years  ago.  A  glance  was  enough 
to  see  that  it  was  no  anteater  at  all,  but  a  pretty 
female  Coati-Mondi.  Gallant  Jack  Tar,  her  master  on 
ship,  unconscious  of  the  incongruity,  had  made  a 
namesake  of  her,  for  he  called  her  Jack. 

Her  Brazilian  name  has  a  musical,  liquid  flow 
which  suffers  sadly  when  we  put  it  in  our  own 
vernacular,  and  call  it  "the  earth-cat."  It  divides 
its  life  foraging  for  food  among  the  trees  and  on  the 
ground;  in  the  one  place  robbing  birds'  nests,  and 

211 


212  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

in  the  other,  snout-wise  rooting  up  insects  and  worms. 
Turning  from  its  popular  name  to  that  given  it 
in  science,  we  find  a  clear  significance.  The  syste- 
matist  prefers  to  name  from  some  feature  of  structure. 
So  science  had  already  named  her  Nasua,  and  in  a 
matter-of-fact  way,  for  the  word  interpreted  means 
—  Nosie.  The  animal  was  about  the  size  of  a  cat, 
with  thick,  coarse  fur,  of  a  warm  brownish-red  hue 
on  the  back  and  sides,  and  underneath  shades  from 
yellow  to  orange.  The  long  tail  was  ornamented  b; 
a  series  of  black  and  yellowish-brown  rings. 


Nosie's   Peculiarities. 

Her  nasal  prominence  reminded  me  of  a  queerl 
gifted  Spaniard,  whom  I  knew  when  a  boy,  as  employ 
in  the  government  service  to  detect  spurious  coin. 
His  "  counterfeit  detector "  was  a  sensitive  proboscis. 
By  sticking  this  organ  into  the  glittering  heaps  he 
literally  "nosed"  out  the  bad  from  the  good.  To 
that  man  his  nose  was  the  instrumental  outfit  of  his 
profession;  and  to  Nasua  her  nose  was  equally  im- 
portant. It  even  prompted  a  nickname  and  a  juvenile 
pun,  —  "  Nosie's  nose  knows  too  much !  "  However,  we 
all,  even  the  children,  preferred  to  call  her  Jack,  be- 
cause she  knew  the  name. 

The  untying  of  Jack,  and  so  giving  her  the  freedom 
of  the  house  was  the  opening  of  a  circus.  It  gave 
occasion  for  the  display  of  her  peculiar  talents ;  and 
it  should  be  said,  she  made  the  most  of  her  gifts  and 
opportunities. 


COUSIN    TWO,  THE    COATI-MONDI.  213 

Inappeasably  inquisitive,  she  was  incessantly  intrud- 
ing her  nose  into  everything.  Not  allowing  for  an 
extra-tropical  temperature,  this  little  South  American 
made  a  failure  in  an  attempt  to  lift  with  her  nose  the 
lid  of  a  pot  in  the  cook's  domain.  The  next  attempt, 
a  successful  one,  was  on  the  knife-box,  whose  closely- 
fitting  lid  was  pried  open,  and  every  article  inspected, 
in  happy  ignorance  of  the  proverb  about  playing  with 
edged  tools. 

It  was  enough  that  anything  was  hollow  to  excite 
her  curiosity ;  and  if  any  sound  proceeded  from  the 
inside,  that  would  be  sure  to  arouse  to  unwonted 
efforts  the  Nasuan  mind,  which  seemed  to  be  of  a 
thoroughly  simian  type.  She  turned  over  the  dinner- 
bell,  but,  unable  to  detach  the  clapper  and  chain,  it  was, 
after  much  endeavor,  abandoned  in  disgust.  A  round 
sleigh-bell  received  even  more  persevering  attention. 
Unable  to  get  her  nose  or  paws  into  the  little  hole 
at  the  side,  the  clatter  within  set  her  wild  with  excite- 
ment, and  evoked  a  desperate  attack  on  the  vexatious 
mystery  with  her  teeth.  She  then  gave  it  up  as  a 
bootless  job.  Her  familiarity  with  her  friends  was 
often  too  obtrusive.  She  would  take  forcible  possession 
of  one's  lap.  While  lying  there  the  ticking  of  a  watch 
would  so  excite  her  desire  to  investigate  that  it  was 
not  easy  to  stop  her  even  with  slapping  her  in  the 
face.  But  of  this  more  further  on. 

I  had  not  the  opportunity  to  determine  whether 
Xasua  had  that  fine  sense  of  smell  which  the  dog 
possesses,  and  by  which  he  individualizes  his  canine 
companions,  and  his  human  friends,  and  also  finds 


214  ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

his  way.  But  on  certain  lines  her  sense  of  smell  was 
peculiar.  It  seemed  as  if  the  stronger  and  ranker 
the  odor,  the  more  enjoyable  was  the  olfactory  sense. 
Onions  and  garlic  were  simply  roses  in  the  solid. 
Some  liniments  in  the  medicine-chest  were  discovered, 
and  duly  inspected,  but  quietly  set  aside  as  non- 
comestibles. 

A  bottle  of  hartshorn  was  next  made  the  subject 
investigation.  We  had  purposely  loosened  the  cork, 
and  promised  ourselves  a  "  nice  sell " ;  and  tve  got  it  — 
not  Nosie.  She  was  not  in  the  least  disconcerted  by 
the  drug.  Having  emptied  the  bottle  of  its  contents, 
she  emptied  the  room  also  of  its  occupants ;  for  that 
volatile  alkali  produced  the  impression,  that  "  there  was 
something  or  other  abnormal  in  the  atmosphere  of 
the  air."  But  beyond  a  sneeze  or  two  the  little  beast 
was  not  affected. 

In  fact,  she  had  a  strong  nose  for  such  things.  A 
man  gave  her  his  tobacco-box.  Resting  it  on  the  floor 
between  her  two  paws,  which  possessed  uncommon 
flexibility,  she  turned  it  over  and  over,  round  and 
round,  exercising  alternately  her  nose,  claws,  and  teeth 
upon  it  with  great  energy,  but  to  no  avail.  It  seemed 
that  the  smell  of  its  contents  infatuated  her,  as  she 
showed  no  disposition  to  stop. 

The  man  opened  the  box  for  her.  She  now  seemed 
enraptured.  In  went  the  nose  and  both  front  paws. 
The  hands  worked  with  the  proboscis,  and  all  three 
had  a  rapid  movement.  Very  soon  that  wonderfully 
mobile  organ  had  separated  every  fiber,  so  that  the 
mass  was  light  as  a  sponge. 


COUSIN   TWO,  THE    COATI-MONDI.  215 

• 

The  same  man  at  another  time  let  her  have  his 
strong  foul  pipe;  when,  to  my  utter  surprise,  the  tip 
of  her  velvety  nose  was  instantly  squeezed  into  that 
rank-smelling  bowl.  It  could  hardly  be  that  the  smell 
was  even  unpleasant,  as  the  animal  did  not  so  much 
as  clean  off  the  soiled  organ. 

It  would  be  wrong  to  infer  that  Nasua's  prying 
propensities  never  got  her  into  trouble.  Though  very 
much  of  her  teasing,  and  familiarity,  and  mischievous 
cunning  was  inflicted  with  impunity,  it  was  because 
the  household  held  in  respect  my  desire  to  study  the 
animal  and  its  ways.  But  Coati  did  not  always  study 
her  company,  and,  speaking  metaphorically,  in  the 
following  instance,  she  did  put  her  foot  into  it. 

The  old  cat,  who  on  principle  ignored  companionship 
with  the  "eccentric  foreigner,"  had  just  finished  her 
nap,  and  was  stretching  herself;  an  operation  which 
means  that  she  stood  with  her  four  feet  close  together, 
the  limbs  elongated,  the  back  rounded  up  like  that  of 
a  camel,  the  head  erect  and  drawn  back,  and  the 
mouth  yawning  widely.  Such  a  spectacle  Nosie  had 
never  before  beheld;  so  of  consequence  it  must  be 
looked  into.  Thus  in  a  trice  raising  herself  almost 
erect,  and  resting  on  her  flat  hind  -  feet,  like  a  little 
bear,  she  put  her  arms  around  the  cat's  neck,  and 
reeking  with  the  smell  of  that  pipe,  down  went  that 
inquisitive  nose  into  Tabbie's  mouth. 

But  such  bearish  conduct  was  not  to  be  borne.  So 
this  unwarrantable  intrusion  was  met  by  a  reception 
more  feline  than  felicitous,  judging  from  the  haste  in 
which  Nasua  withdrew  to  a  corner  of  the  room  to 


• 


216  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

4» 

ruminate  on  the  untoward  result.  Her  method  o 
relieving  the  injured  member  was  itself  quite  origin  a 
She  placed  it  between  both  paws,  holding  it  tightly, 
then  jerked  it  through  them,  giving  a  violent  sneeze 
every  time  it  came  out.  The  sneezing  was  genuine, 
because  it  was  involuntary.  The  liniment  was  as 
nothing,  and  both  hartshorn  and  nicotine  had  signally 
failed  to  get  up  anything  respectable  in  that  line;  but 
that  cat-nip  pure  and  simple,  brought  the  tears  to 
her  eyes. 

Though  the  colors  are  warm,  the  fur  of  Nasua,  which 
is  somewhat  long,  is  rather  coarse  and  wiry.  But 
quite  pretty  was  the  pattern  of  our  animal's  ears, — 
they  were  so  clean,  trim,  soft,  and  small.  Though 
rather  pert,  they  had  an  air  about  them  that  was 
really  amiable,  and  such  as  the  canine  fancier  would 
pronounce  elegant.  Our  pet  was  not  averse  to  a  little 
fondling,  and  I  well  remember  the  first  time  sh< 
climbed  upon  my  lap.  There  was  no  looking  at  my 
"face  first,  or  feeling  the  way,  as  a  dog  does,  to  see  if 
he  may  venture  upon  one's  patronage.  It  was  thought- 
less familiarity.  It  pleases  me  better  to  believe  it 
was  the  latter. 

Her  inquisitiveness  made  fondling  brief  or  difficult. 
If  she  meant  to  nestle  on  my  lap,  as  did  Puss,  or  the 
little  dog,  she  was  not  able  to  be  quiet  long  enough 
to  carry  out  her  intentions.  The  moment  her  head 
came  in  contact  with  my  vest,  those  pretty  ears  sud- 
denly quivered.  The  ticking  of  my  watch  had  excited 
her.  Down  went  that  ubiquitous  organ  into  the  watch- 
pocket.  Failing  with  the  nose,  she  made  a  desperate 


COUSIN   TWO,  THE    COATI-MONDL  217 

effort  with  that  and  both  fore-feet  all  at  once.  Still 
unable  to  solve  that  case  of  mystery,  she  thrust  her 
nose  down  by  its  side,  and  for  several  minutes, 
with  monkey  quaintness,  listened  to  the  ticking  of 
mortal  Time. 

I  had  allowed  myself  to  overlook  an  important  fact 
in  Xasua's  mental  make-up,  namely,  that  her  curiosity 
could  not  be  allayed  unless  it  was  gratified.  Child-like, 
it  might  be  diverted.  On  the  above  occasion  she 
was  allowed  the  liberty  often  taken  by  the  little  dog, 
of  going  to  sleep  on  my  lap,  while  I  gave  myself  up 
to  the  enjoyment  of  my  book.  As  the  work  then  in 
hand  was  a  new  volume  of  "Transactions"  of  a 
learned  body,  the  subjects  being  congenial,  and  en- 
grossing, and  requiring  very  attentive  reading,  I 
became  quite  absorbed  in  the  book. 

Her  nap  finished,  I  did  not  notice  when  she  left 
my  lap.  Soon  a  noise  was  heard  like  the  tearing  of 
paper.  The  wonderful  little  beast  had  abstracted  my 
pocket-diary,  and  in  violation  of  all  propriety  was 
making  heavy  extracts  from  it.  Those  keen  incisors 
were  scissoring  away  —  a  full  leaf  at  a  time!  She  had 
even  filched  a  five-dollar  note  out  of  the  pouch  of  the 
book,  and  as  if  making  change,  had  converted  it  into 
fractional  currency.  Excepting  a  little  verbal  explosion, 
in  which  I  denounced  my  pet  as  a  meddler  and  pick- 
pocket, I  kept  my  temper,  simply  banishing  her  from 
the  study,  and  gathering  up  the  fragments. 

As  Coati's  scientific  name  Nasua,  and  her  sobriquet 
Nosie,  both  mean  exactly  the  same  thing,  it  is  time 
to  speak  of  her  more  particularly  in  respect  to  that 


218  ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

remarkable  organ,  her  proboscis  or  nose.  In  a  simi- 
lar manner,  though  not  quite  to  the  same  extent,  the 
nose  of  Nasua,  like  the  trunk  of  the  tapir,  projects 
far  beyond  the  mouth.  In  each  instance  it  is  an 
elongated  nose,  though  the  proboscis  of  the  greater 
beast  is  sufficiently  prehensile  to  curl  around  the  leaves 
of  trees,  on  which  it  is  browsing. 

At  my  first  acquaintance  with  Nasua,  I  was  desirous 
to  see  if  it  could  drink  from  a  deep  vessel,  and  how 
it  could  do  it.  So  a  narrow  deep  mug  containing 
about  a  gill  of  sweet  milk  was  set  before  her.  To  my 
surprise  and  delight,  she  instantly,  and  without  th 
least  ado,  turned  the  end  of  the  proboscis  up  towards 
her  forehead,  and  in  the  easiest  way,  judging  from 
the  very  little  effort  required,  she  soon  had  the  vessel 
dry.  It  was  very  neatly  done.  The  organ  was  not 
even  wet. 

She  enjoyed  the  milk  greatly,  and  as  to  that  turni. 
up   of  the  nose  at   my  proffered   dainties,  that  was  h 
way  when  she   liked  anything.     Turning  up  her  snou 
was   symbolically  smacking  her  lips.     It  was   certainly 
comical,  and  yet  quite  winsome  if  fairly  understood. 

If  feeling  naughty  or  "out  of  sorts,"  Nasua  never 
ft looked  down  at  the  mouth"  but  at  the  nose.  When 
displeased,  or  as  I  might  say  disgruntled,  she  expressed 
that  state  of  unpleasantness  by  turning  her  nose  down 
until  it  dropped  under  the  lower  jaw.  She  had  a 
marvellous  command  of  this  flexible  organ,  and  could 
turn  it  any  way  she  pleased,  up  or  down,  to  the  right, 
or  to  the  left. 

And  that  nose  could  express  the  emotion  of  surprise, 


s 


COUSIN    TWO,  THE    COATI-MONDI.  219 

or  embarrassment,  as  well  as  of  displeasure.  The  first 
time  she  was  made  to  confront  a  mirror  in  my 
presence  she  seemed  fairly  startled,  if  not  dazed  at 
the  vision  of  her  second  self.  Instantly  her  counte- 
nance,—  that  is  her  nose  fell,  and  so  low  that  it 
actually  went  under  the  chin!  It  was  the  most  ogre- 
isli  way  of  looking  down  at  the  mouth  I  had  ever 
witnessed  in  man  or  beast.  At  such  times  her  pro- 
boscis had  the  look  of  a  tapir's  in  repose.  All  this 
made  it  still  the  funnier;  as  there  was  110  repose  in 
it.  It  was  the  expression  of  the  strain  in  the  ani- 
mal's mind  of  an  embarrassing  perplexity,  —  as  if 
a  lady,  smarting  under  an  impertinent  annoyance, 
should  say :  "  Who  is  that  fellow  staring  at  me  ? " 
This  singular  grimace,  with  its  squeaky  little  grunts, 
presented  a  very  funny  manifestation  of  puzzled  aston- 
ishment. 

I  confess  my  inability  to  quite  take  in  the  story 
of  those  Australian  savages  to  whom  a  picture  of  the 
queen  was  shown,  and  the  question  put:  "What  is  it?" 
and  the  nearest  answer  got  was :  "  It 's  a  kangaroo ! " 

With  domestic  animals  usually  the  first  sight  of 
themselves  in  a  looking-glass  begets  surprise,  with  a 
little  bewilderment;  but  it  has  seemed  to  me  generally 
there  is  some  sense  of  the  meaning  of  that  which  is 
seen.  Monkeys  have  been  known  under  such  an 
experience  to  manifest  a  surprise  not  unlike  that  of  a 
sudden  recognition,  and  then  to  pause  a  few  moments 
as  if  reflecting,  and  then  to  look  behind  the  glass  for 
the  object.  I  believe  both  they  and  domestic  animals 
very  soon  get  accustomed  to  the  illusion. 


220  ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

It  seems  necessary  to  premise  a  statement,  to  the 
effect  that  Nasua  has  zoologically  a  close  alliance  to 
the  bears.  Elsewhere  I  have  put  this  animal  into  the 
membership  of  a  group  that  I  have  called  coon-bears, 
one  of  the  considerations  being  the  plantigradal  structure. 
And  like  the  bears  our  Nasua  was  literalty  omnivorous. 

For  an  airing  we  often  tied  her  by  a  long  tether, 
to  a  flower-stand  on  the  lawn.  As  just  indicated,  she 
would  eat  and  drink  almost  anything.  She  would 
catch  mice,  and  would  not  leave  a  particle.  The  same 
was  true  of  sweetmeats,  which  she  would  sometimes 
obtain  by  stealth.  She  had  nearly  all  the  appetencies 
of  domesticated  swine;  and  in  appearance,  and  in  a 
certain  stiffening  muscularity,  the  end  of  her  nose  wras 
essentially  a  swine's  snout. 

It  was  with  real  delight  that  I  now  beheld  the 
purpose  of  this  curiously-tipped  organ.  Very  interest- 
ing it  was  to  see  that  little  beast  plow  up  the  green 
sward  with  the  tip  of  her -nose,  —  and  so  easily.  Here 
appeared  the  swinish  acuteness  of  scent  for  insects  and 
worms,  and  the  swinish  facility  for  rooting  in  the 
ground.  With  considerable  rapidity  furrow  after  furrow 
was  made,  of  about  the  width  of  a  man's  thumb  or  a 
little  more.  Whenever  a  worm  or  insect  was  found, 
the  muscles  whose  tension  stiffened  the  organ  for  a 
rooting  purpose  were  now  relaxed,  and  tension  was 
put  upon  another  set  of  muscles,  so  that  the  mouth 
could  extract  the  object  from  the  furrow.  Nasua's 
nose,  then,  like  the  snout  of  the  peccary,  could  be 
rigid  or  flexible  at  will;  but  in  the  latter  quality 
Nasua  excelled. 


COUSIN"   TWO,  THE    COATI-MONDI.  221 

As  seen  in  menageries,  Coati-Mondi  appears  to  dis- 
advantage, its  gayly  colored  pelage  making  but  a  sorry 
show.  Ceaselessly  active  in  its  small  cage,  its  fur  gets 
a  frowsy  appearance. 

Nasua's    Tail. 

The  tail  of  Nasua  is  quite  suggestive  of  the  raccoon; 
but  Nasua's  tail  is  a  much  handsomer  affair,  —  longer, 
and  with  rings  more  numerous,  more  pronounced,  and 
of  gayer  colors.  The  few  caudal  rings  of  our  northern 
raccoon  are  of  an  ashy  white.  Those  of  Coati-Mondi 
are  a  warm  yellow.  The  fur  of  both  animals  is  coarse, 
that  of  the  raccoon  being  the  more  valuable  because 
more  fleecy,  a  little  finer,  and  uniform  of  color.  Besides, 
the  common  raccoon,  unlike  its  exotic  cousin,  is  adapted 
for  the  northern  winters,  and  the  pelts  of  northern 
animals  must  bear  the  palm  for  excellence  as  furs. 

But  more  about  Nasua's  tail.  With  admirable  in- 
telligence, our  pet  could  put  this  beautiful  appendage 
to  a  remarkable  use.  Once  when  she  was  tethered 
by  a  string  to  a  chair,  an  egg  was  placed  on  the 
floor  at  a  tantalizing  distance.  She  could  just  touch 
it  with  a  paw,  and  that  touch  caused  the  prize  to 
roll  out  of  reach.  She  then  turned  her  hind-feet 
toward  it,  pulling  hard  so  as  to  stretch  her  neck; 
still  even  with  a  hind-foot  she  could  not  touch  it. 

With  the  Coatis,  most  emphatically,  "eggs  are  eggs." 
The  logic  of  events  was  now,  "Get  it  if  you  can!" 
All  this  Nasua  well  understood,  for  she  turned  tail 
on  the  subject,  —  not,  however,  in  despair  or  disgust, 


222  ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

as  did  Eeynard  on  the  grapes,  but  strategically.  She 
gathered  herself  up,  and  looked  at  the  coveted  object 
with  speculative  eyes.  Then  she  swung  herself  round 
again,  straining  hard  on  the  tether  by  the  neck.  She 
then  curved  the  tip  of  the  tail  so  as  to  make  a  little 
hook.  Now  she  grasps  the  base  of  the  tail  with  one 
paw,  as  with  a  hand,  thus  steadying  the  organ,  all  the 
time  pulling  with  her  neck  at  the  tether,  so  as  to 
lengthen  her  body  in  the  direction  of  the  coveted 
prize. 

She  next  slowly  and  cautiously  rolled  the  egg,  by 
the  curved  tip  of  the  tail,  through  a  section  of  a  circle; 
or  more  correctly,  in  that  precise  curvilinear  movement 
which  produces  what  the  mathematicians  call  a  prolate, 
or  inflected  cycloid.  This  movement  of  the  egg  by  the 
hooked  tip  of  the  tail  was  conducted  with  admirable 
steadiness  and  precision  until  it  was  brought  within 
reach  of  one  of  the  front-feet.  The  egg  now  seized 
and  held  in  both  hands,  sitting  on  her  hind -feet,  like 
a  bear,  she  cracks  it,  extracts  the  contents,  and  neither 
spills  a  drop  on  the  floor,  nor  so  much  as  soils  that 
wonderful  nose;  for,  among  her  many  gifts,  is  her  soft 
and  extensile  tongue. 

This  caudal  expedient  is  sometimes  found  with  the 
American  show-monkey,  when  a  bit  of  gingerbread  is 
put  by  the  roguish  boys  at  an  inconvenient  distance; 
but  as  in  such  instance  the  tail  is  prehensile,  —  is,  in 
fact,  the  monkey's  fifth  hand,  —  such  a  feat  is  no  great 
thing  after  all,  but  is  quite  in  keeping  with  what 
the  organ  is  intended  for.  It  is,  at  most,  but  little 
more  than  that  instinct  which  structural  or  functional 
capacity  might  evolve. 


COUSIN   TWO,  THE    COATI-MONDI.  223 

The  Cebus,  or  monkey  of  the  menagerie,  does  not, 
like  Nasua,  show  the  tantalizing  boy  a  trick  worth  two 
of  his  by  turning  hand  and  tail  into  a  compass,  and 
describing  a  prolate  cycloid  on  the  floor.  Actually 
Cebus  invents  nothing.  But,  in  Nasua's  case,  it  is  a 
studied,  thought-out  animal  contrivance,  pure  and  sim- 
ple. There  is,  too,  a  latent  fact  which  peeps  out  here: 
for  this  bending  of  the  caudal  tip  looks  to  the  faculty 
possessed  by  its  cousin,  the  Kinkajou,  whose  curling 
tail  has  a  prehensile  or  grasping  facility  of  high  per- 
fection. But  of  Kinkajou  consideration  will  be  made 
further  on.  Besides  that  caudal  achievement  in  getting 
the  egg,  our  little  plantigradal  pet  sat  up  on  her  hind 
feet,  and  used  her  hands  in  monkey-style  to  enjoy  the 
feast. 

Nasua's   Mental   Traits. 

Nasua  showed  considerable  attachment,  —  her  pref- 
erence being  the  ladies.  She  would  often,  when  tied 
up  in  the  kitchen,  sit  for  many  minutes,  her  little  black 
eyes  looking  wistfully  at  the  door  through  which  the 
mistress  of  the  house  had  passed,  and  all  this  time 
crying  pitifully.  It  was  a  plaintive  cry,  in  the  minor 
key,  and  yet  a  little  funny,  for  it  often  resembled  the 
chirping  of  a  cricket,  though  not  quite  so  shrill,  and 
the  intervals  between  the  notes  were  a  little  longer. 
This  tiny  cry  required  for  every  note  a  muscular 
exertion,  extending  far  down  the  sides  of  the  body, 
which  led  to  the  suggestion  that  "the  plaint  came  from 
the  depths  of  the  heart." 

Though  at  times   somewhat   irascible,  this    little   ani- 


111U 

:; 


224  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

mal  was  very  playful  with  those  who  could  understand 
and  humor  her  ways.  And  her  method  in  play  was 
a  good  deal  like  that  of  a  dog.  She  would  take  my 
fingers  into  her  mouth,  and  make  believe  to  bite,  and 
would  roll  011  her  back  in  manifest  glee.  It  required 
at  first  some  courage  to  take  part  in  her  gambols.  On 
one  occasion,  thinking  that  she  gave  me  too  hard  a 
nip  with  her  teeth,  I  returned  her  a  smart  slap  in  the 
face.  This  experience  was  novel  and  startling,  and 
caused  her  to  open  her  mouth  and  chatter  as  a 
rified  monkey. 

On  another  occasion  she  so  far  forgot  herself  as 
bite  me  rather  severely.  It  was  but  one  snap  of  the 
mouth,  —  a  mere  spurt  of  temper.  I  gave  her  such 
punishment  as  I  regarded  judicious.  For  a  while  she 
kept  up  a  snapping  at  me,  which  was  accompanied  by 
a  monkey-like  chattering  of  rage  and  fear.  At  last 
she  laid  down  her  head  in  submission.  I  then  stroked 
and  patted  her.  It  was  all  made  up,  and  we  were 
friends  again. 

On  this  matter  of  punishment  I  soon  learned  an  im- 
portant fact.  You  might  slap  and  shake  this  little  beast 
quite  severely,  when  her  will  was  aroused,  or  a  slight 
fit  of  temper  was  on,  without  subduing  her.  Animals 
have  idiosyncrasies,  especially  the  more  intelligent  ones. 
Though  she  fought  back  on  my  slaps  with  the  hand, 
she  had  a  wholesome  dread  of  the  rod.  A  twig  not 
thicker  than  a  straw  was  sufficient.  A  blow  from  this, 
although  it  hardly  ruffled  the  fur,  would  reduce  her 
to  instant  and  complete  submission.  The  exhibitor  of 
wild  animals  understands  the  virtue  of  his  little  whip. 


COUSIN    TWO,  THE    CO  ATI-MOM  >I.  225 

Frank  Buckland's  monkeys  regarded  the  broom  with 
deferential  awe. 

The  attachment  of  this  interesting  animal  to  her 
new  home  was  intense.  I  frequently  caused  her  to  be 
taken  to  the  commons  and  set  at  liberty  among  the 
trees.  Considering  that  the  coati  is  a  thoroughly  arbo- 
real animal,  albeit  with  some  ground  propensities,  and 
that  such  is  its  agility  that  it  descends  trees  head 
first,  one  would  suppose  that  this  freedom  would 
awaken  the  dormant  natural  habits  and  cause  her 
to  stray,  but  she  would  invariably  hasten  home  by 
the  shortest  route  possible ;  and  if  on  her  return  she 
found  the  doors  closed,  she  would  sit  on  the  steps  and 
cry. 

I  have  spoken  of  the  animal's  "new  home."  This 
needs  to  be  explained .  The  truth  is,  we  had  borrowed 
her,  but  under  such  circumstances  that  I  regarded 
the  loan  as  a  gift,  —  the  real  owner  being  tired  of  the 
poor  thing.  At  last  cupidity  seized  the  man.  Observ- 
ing my  great  interest  in  the  animal,  he  inferred  that  if 
so  regarded  by  a  naturalist  it  must  have  a  high 
money  value.  So  he  offered  to  sell  her,  but  set  the 
price  beyond  the  worth  of  the  pet. 

After  waiting  a  few  days,  probably  to  force  a  sale, 
he  sent  his  son  to  fetch  her  home.  My  wife,  the  chil- 
dren, and  myself  took  it  hard  to  part  with  the  pretty 
creature.  But  there  was  no  help  for  it.  So  after  some 
patting  and  stroking  of  Coati  by  all  of  us,  the  boy 
took  her  up  struggling  in  his  arms,  hugging  her  to 
his  breast  by  main  force,  and  left,  crossing  the  com- 
mons on  his  way. 


226  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 


well- 


A  few  minutes  only  had  passed  when  that 
known  cricket-like  cry  was  heard  at  the  kitchen -door. 
It  was  opened,  and  in  bounced  Nosie,  overjoyed  at 
getting  back  to  us.  As  to  the  lad,  she  had  treated 
him  shamefully,,  and  the  poor  bo}7,  obliged  to  let  her 
go,  went  home  crying.  Being  left  with  us  again,  she 
soon  forgot  her  troubles;  and  we  had  begun  to  think 
that  she  was  as  good  as  ours. 

One  morning,  at  an  early  hour,  Coati  was  missed 
from  the  kitchen.  A  search  was  set  up.  The  ringing 
voice  of  our  little  one  was  heard,  with  merry  laughter 
and  the  occasional  words,  "  Nosie !  Nosie !  "  And  so  it 
was,  Nosie  was  in  bed  with  the  little  three-year-old,  and 
they  were  having  a  high  time  together.  This  trick  she 
played  whenever  opportunity  allowed. 

Often  at  an  early  hour,  before  the  child  was  awake, 
have  we  found  her  between  the  undisturbed  bed- 
clothes, self-ensconced  in  the  arm  of  her  baby -master. 
Of  course,  prudence  dictated  that  this  must  not  be 
allowed.  But  in  this  matter  she  was  often  superior 
to  our  vigilance;  for  she  would  watch  us,  and  leave 
the  room  so  quietly,  stealing  up  stairs  with  such  noise- 
less feet,  that  often  it  was  all  done  before  there  was 
time  for  suspicion. 

A  word  is  necessary  as  to  the  peculiar  temerity  of 
this  animal.  From  two  points  it  was  liable  to  give 
way  to  extreme  impulsiveness,  —  the  excitement  of 
opposition,  or  of  inquisitiveness.  If  anything  attacked 
her,  whatever  the  object  or  odds  might  be,  she  would 
face  the  assailant,  and  close  in  with  her  shrill  little 
squeaks  of  rage,  and  in  a  wild,  reckless  sort  of  dash. 


COUSIN    TWO,  T11K    ( 'OATI-MONDI.  227 

If  one  slapped  her,  whatever  might  be  her  terror,  she 
would  rush  upon  and  snap  at  the  hand.  And  her 
keen  saber-edged  teeth  were  too  formidable  to  be  trifled 
with. 

No  monkey  could  be  a  more  importunate  or  imperti- 
nent teaser  than  was  our  Nasua;  but  the  monkey  shows 
sagacity  with  his  jokes,  —  for  he  is  wary,  and  always 
adroitly  leaps  aside  of  consequences.  I  have  watched 
our  pet  tease  the  cat  with  imperturbable  persistency, 
until  Tabbic,  unable  to  tolerate  matters  any  longer, 
has  struck  her  sharp  claws  into  that  soft  proboscis, 
then  moved  away,  leaving  her  tormentor  dazed  in 
astonishment. 

The  nose  rubbed  a  little,  and  the  pain  over,  almost 
in  a  moment  forgetting  all  her  experience,  she  would 
turn  her  attention  to  the  setter-dog,  and,  despite  his 
growls  and  threatening  teeth,  would  keep  up  a  worry- 
ing almost  upon  system,  catching  at  his  tail,  nipping 
at  his  legs,  and  even  poking  her  "  India-rubber " 
snout  into  his  ears.  At  last  the  poor  brute,  fairly 
goaded  into  rage,  seized  her  like  a  rat,  and  but  for 
my  prompt  interference  Nasua  would  have  been  seri- 
ously punished  for  her  impertinence. 

One  morning  Nasua  broke  her  tether  in  the  kitchen, 
and  uninvited  made  her  way  into  the  dining-room, 
as  we  were  at  breakfast.  She  at  once  took  possession 
of  madam's  lap.  Thus  established,  her  first  act  was  to 
poke  her  nose  at  the  hot  coffee-urn.  This  evoked  a 
squeak  of  pain.  It  was  supposed  that  she  had  had 
enough.  Not  quite.  Her  next  essay  was  on  a  cup  of 
hot  coffee,  with  a  similar  result.  She  now  smelt  the 


ANIMAL   MEMOIRS. 

contents  of  the  sugar-bowl.  This  discovery  so  excited 
that  "sweet  will"  of  hers  that  instant  removal  became 
imperative.  She  would  upon  opportunity  get  into  the 
pantry,  and  climb  the  shelves  as  nimbly  as  a  monkey, 
and  in  a  trice  off  would  go  the  lid  of  the  sugar-box. 
When  being  taken  clown,  her  cunning  and  foresight 
would  be  shown  in  her  rapid  movements;  for  she 
would  instantly  stuff  her  mouth  and  fill  both  hands, 
then  sit  in  a  corner  enjoying  her  pilfered  sweets. 

Later  in  the  day  of  her  dining-room  experience  she 
tried  to  capture  a  wasp.  She  struck  it  down,  and  held 
it  a  second  under  her  foot.  This  was  met  by  a 
response,  addressed  solely  to  her  understanding,  of  so 
pointed  a  nature  as  made  her  chatter  and  prance  with 
distress.  Disabled  in  one  wing,  the  insect  could  not 
fly  away.  Although  still  smarting  from  the  wounded 
foot,  the  moral  of  the  lesson  is  only  half  learned. 
Coati  cannot  give  "little  yellow-jacket"  up.  So  she 
tries  the  wasp  again,  —  this  time  with  her  nose.  Alas, 
that  sting!  Miss  Nasua  now  finds  that  other  little 
folks,  besides  herself,  can  utilize  their  tails;  for,  in 
proof  of  this  she  receives  a  burning  sting  such  as 
exacts  a  staccato  outgush  of  agony  of  truly  simian 
expression. 

I  can  recall  but  one  lesson  which  she  ever  took 
sincerely  to  heart.  The  old  cow  was  quietly  ruminat- 
ing near  the  house.  Nasna  that  day  had  the  freedom 
of  the  lawn.  With  her  usual  temerity  she  made  an 
attempt  to  climb  one  of  Cushie's  legs.  The  cow  raised 
her  foot  to  shake  the  annoyance  off,  and  in  setting 
it  down  she  put  her  hoof  on  Nasua's  tail,  and  there 


COUSIN    TWO,    THK    roATI-MONDI.  229 

standing,  gravely  ruminating,  held  her  fast  to  the 
ground.  Her  rapid,  chattering  cry  brought  one  of  the 
family  to  her  rescue.  The  tail  was  very  badly  hurt. 
Ever  after,  between  Nasua  and  Cushie  a  respectful 
di:-( a nro  was  maintained. 

I  think  that  in  a  sort  of  clever  cunning  Nasua  was 
not  unequal  to  some  of  the  monkeys.  She  would  lie 
still  as  if  asleep,  while  one  eye  would  scrutinize  the 
movements  of  the  one  she  suspected.  This  perhaps 
was  sly  cunning;  but  on  the  line  of  animal  morality 
all  this  could  be  easily  borne  with. 

I  regret  to  say,  however,  that  she  did  not  believe  in 
our  standard  of  sobriety.  The  discovery  was  made  by 
accident.  It  was  summer-time,  and  the  flies  were 
numerous  and  very  troublesome.  It  happened  that  the 
kitchen  that  afternoon  was  vacant,  and,  unwilling  to 
use  poison,  I  thought  of  an  experiment  to  intoxicate 
the  flies.  So  a  saucer  of  apple-brandy  and  sugar  was 
set  on  the  table  for  the  delectation  and  destruction  of 
the  annoying  diptera. 

Returning  to  the  kitchen  soon  after  to  learn  the 
result  of  my  experiment,  I  found  it  had  been  effective 
where  not  intended.  Nasua  was  on  the  table,  and  she 
had  taken  down  nearly  all  the  apple-brandy  and  sugar. 
I  lifted  her  to  the  floor,  and  watched  the  result  with 
painful  interest.  In  a  few  minutes  the  little  beast  was 
drunk.  She  staggered  about  as  flimsy  as  a  rag-doll. 
Then  she  betook  herself  to  her  corner;  and  I  will  give 
her  the  credit  to  say,  that  for  an  intoxicated  person 
she  bore  herself  with  becoming  prudence;  for,  though 
not  going  to  sleep,  she  kept  very  quiet.  There  was  in 


230  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

her  eyes  a  sort  of  tipsy  wisdom,  and  an  outlook  of 
maudlin  gravity,  but  otherwise  she  gave  no  sign  of 
sound  or  action.  She  was  I  thought  distressed  in  the 
head.  That  she  should  be  so  quiet  somewhat  surprised 
me.  Once  afterwards,  to  see  what  the  animal  would 
do,  she  was  purposely  exposed  to  the  ardent.  It  was 
found  that  her  former  experience  had  not  tended  to 
reform,  so  the  thing  was  stopped. 

But  poor  Nasua!  The  boy  had  come  again  for  her. 
This  time  he  brought  a  rope.  He  now  would  lead 
her  home  like  an  unwilling  dog.  That  was  the  last 
time  we  saw  our  Nasua!  The  dear  little  thing  was 
consigned  to  a  dark,  cold  cellar,  thence  taken  to  New 
York,  and,  as  we  learned  long  afterwards,  sold  for  a 
small  pittance  to  a  saloon-keeper.  Here  the  engaging 
and  interesting  little  creature  got  into  bad  company 
and  bad  ways,  —  and  erelong  came  the  end,  sad  and 
shameful ! 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 


COUSIN    THREE,    THE    KINKAJOU. 

fjT  is  an  interesting  fact  that  in  a  direct  line 
one  of  Nasau's  congeners  of  a  higher  rank 
still  exists  in  the  same  forests  of  South  Amer- 
ica. This  is  the  Kinkajou,  Cercoleptes  caudivolvulus, 
reduced  to  one  species.  When  tamed  it  is  an  in- 
teresting little  animal,  with  amiable  ways  and  monkey 
traits.  The  tail  is  prehensile,  in  that  it  curls 
around  an  object,  which  with  its  plantigrade  feet 
gives  it  in  Germany  the  name  curling-bear.  Like  the 
monkey,  it  will  hold  its  food  in  one  hand  and  break 
it  and  feed  it  to  the  mouth  with  the  other.  So,  then, 
Kinkajou  and  Coati-Mondi  come  honestly  by  their 
monkey-tricks,  having  a  clear  title  by  heritage. 

The  length  of  a  full-grown  adult  would  be  from 
tip  of  nose  to  base  of  tail  about  eighteen  inches,  and 
the  tail  about  twelve  inches  long,  or  a  little  more, 
the  body  being  as  large  as  a  medium-sized  cat.  The 
snout  is  short,  a  little  tip-tilted,  just  enough  to  impart 
an  air  of  inquisitiveness,  and  at  the  same  time  an 
innocent,  almost  amiable  look. 

Like  its  neighbors,  the  South  American  monkeys, 
it  can  coil  its  tail  with  at  least  two  prehensile 

231 


232  .         ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

turns  around  the  branch  of  a  tree.  Its  quadrumanous 
dexterity,  and  its  monkey  manners  of  feeding  from 
either  hand,  caused  it  formerly  to  pass  among  nat- 
uralists as  a  lemur,  one  of  the  lowest  of  the  quadru- 
mana,  or  monkey  tribe.  Thus  it  had  a  systematic 
name,  Lemur  flavus,  the  Yellow  Lemur,  "  its  pelage 
favoring  that  color.  The  hands  have  no  opposable 
thumbs,  and  the  fingers  are  webbed  for  nearly  their 
whole  length.  Although  the  heels  of  the  feet  are 
well  raised,  it  walks  with  a  plantigrade  step." 

The  tongue  is  remarkable,  being  long,  slim,  very 
extensile  and  flexible.  With  this  it  is  able  to  penetrate 
into  crevices  and  holes  in  search  of  insects,  and  being 
fond  of  honey,  even  to  probe  the  nests  of  bees.  Yet 
we  shall  see  that  a  tame  specimen  did  not  take  to 
these  delicacies  when  offered.  In  its  native  home  it 
loves  the  trees,  being  a  facile  climber,  and  with  its 
caudal  apprehension  and  all-round  handiness,  it  is 
admirably  endowed  for  an  arboreal  life.  When  de- 
scending it  does  so  head  downward,  like  the  Coati. 

Unlike  the  animals  already  described  as  living 
pets,  with  whom  I  was  on  the  best  of  terms,  and 
whose  ways  were  seen  with  my  own  eyes,  the  Kin- 
kajou  I  was  never  able  to  obtain  alive.  Happily  all 
that  is  made  up  to  me  by  the  kindness  of  Mrs. 
Olive  Thome  Miller,  whose  charming  sketch,  "A 
Little  South  American,"  in  the  Cosmopolitan,  she  put 
generously  at  my  service.  The  sketch  is  a  bright 
description  of  her  experience  with  and  observation 
of  a  tame  Kinkajou  which  she  had  in  her  possession 
eight  months.  Besides  this  the  lady  has  in  corre- 


%  fc  H  A  n 


COUSIN    THREE,  THE    KINKAJOU. 

spondence  given  me  some  interesting  facts  concerning 
her  pet. 

These  creatures  are  exceedingly  impatient  of  light. 
Little  Kinkie  could  not  tolerate  the  light,  however  dim 
it  might  be.  He  had  for  a  sleeping-nest  a  round 
spice-box  eight  inches  in  diameter,  in  which  he  was 
snuggled  like  a  ball  of  fur  the  livelong  day.  But 
when  it  was  dark,  if  he  could  get  out  of  his  cage, 
and  have  to  himself  the  free  range  of  madame's 
sitting-room,  there  would  be  a  rare  show.  As  during 
daylight  no  coaxing  could  wheedle  him  out  of  his 
nest,  —  for  he  was  utterly  proof  against  all  persuasion, 
—  if  alone,  and  at  liberty,  in  a  dark  room  he  became 
the  very  Puck,  or  impersonation  of  roguish  mischief. 

"  Woe  to  the  household  if  he  succeeded  in  opening 
his  door!  Every  standing  thing  that  was  upsetable 
in  the  room  was  upset,  every  hanging  thing  not 
firmly  secured  was  pulled  down.  Pictures  were  taken 
from  the  wall,  statuettes  turned  over,  baskets  and 
boxes  emptied.  And  when  daylight  discovered  the 
mischief  done  the  guileless  author  of  all  the  mis- 
chief was  curled  up  in  his  box,  or  on  it,  sleeping 
the  sleep  of  innocence,  and  on  being  aroused  turned 
upward  a  gentle,  winning  little  face  that  disarmed 
the  severest  housekeeper  at  once." 

And  supposing  the  little  prisoner  had  been  unable 
to  get  out  of  his  cage,  the  morning  would  show 
that  Kinkie  had  done  his  best  in  a  limited  field. 
The  cage,  so  neat  and  tidy  when  his  mistress  left 
it,  would  be  a  scene  of  desolation. 

"The  paper  that  had  neatly  covered  the  floor,  torn 


234  ANIMAL   MEMOIRS. 

to  bits;  sawdust,  scattered  out  on  the  carpet;  his  much- 
prized  nest-box,  gnawed,  pulled  from  its  fastening  if 
possible,  and  upset;  water-cup  bottom  up,  and  the 
cage  flooded;  heavy,  woolen  blanket  torn  to  ribbons, 
or  made  into  '  drawn  work/  more  intricate  than  any 
design  in  the  pattern-book.  These  were  the  results 
that  proclaimed  his  night's  amusements. 

"And  when  thus  restrained  of  his  liberty  he  was 
my  gentle  pet  no  longer,  but  a  wild  beast  trying 
to  escape.  Yet  even  then,  when  his  pranks  were 
wildest,  if  I  lifted  the  blanket  and  spoke  to  him,  he 
quickly  thrust  out  a  cold  hand  to  be  warmed,  and 
gently  rubbed  a  soft  nose  against  my  hands,  though 
two  minutes  after  I  left  the  strange  sounds  of  de- 
struction would  be  resumed." 

His  mistress  would  often  of  an  evening  give  Kin- 
kie  his  freedom  of  the  room.  She  says  of  the  odd 
little  creature:  "His  manners  were  most  curious  and 
uncommon.  From  the  moment  he  aroused  himself, 
stretched  his  limbs,  yawned,  thrust  out  his  long  tongue, 
and  climbed  down  from  his  open  cage  for  a  frolic, 
he  was  most  interesting.  He  was  deliberation  itself 
in  his  usual  movements,  hobbling  around  the  room 
like  a  small  bear,  his  long  hind  legs  and  turned-in 
toes  giving  him  a  peculiarly  awkward  gait;  climbing 
tables  and  chairs,  and  coming  down  head-first  in  a 
cautious  manner.  If  startled,  he  galloped  clumsily 
back  to  his  corner,  scrambled  into  the  cage,  pulled 
himself  up  to  his  nest,  curled  down  out  of  sight,  and 
stayed  there  till  all  was  quiet  again. 

"When    the    room  was  of   a  temperature  to  please 


COUSIN    THREE,   THE    KINKAJOU.  235 

him,  and  consequently  intolerable  to  us,  he  liked  to 
lie  outside  the  blanket  in  the  oddest  attitudes;  some- 
times flat  on  his  back,  with  legs  stretched  to  their 
utmost,  sometimes  on  his  stomach,  with  head  hanging 
over  the  edge,  in  a  way  to  break  his  neck,  one 
would  think.  Head  down  was  always  a  favorite 
attitude  with  him. 

"The  positions  into  which  the  kinkajou  put  his 
incredibly  lithe  body  were  marvelous;  it  often  looked 
as  though  he  had  not  a  bone  under  his  skin.  He 
could  bend  his  back  in  a  perfect  bow  either  way, 
turn  and  twist  arms  and  legs  into  any  impossible 
position,  flatten  himself  to  creep  under  a  low  book- 
case, or  narrow  himself  to  pass  between  two  books 
on  a  shelf. 

"  His  eating  was  an  interesting  operation,  and  took 
place  only  at  night.  His  diet  was  entirely  of  fruit, 
which  he  invariably  took  in  his  mouth,  but  used  a 
hand,  sometimes  two,  to  aid  in  managing  it.  He  bit 
a  piece  off  with  the  side  teeth,  threw  back  his  head, 
and  crushed  it  between  the  tongue  and  the  roof  of 
the  mouth,  which  was  crossed  with  bony-looking 
ridges.  When  he  came  to  me  he  ate  apples;  but  the 
first  time  he  saw  a  banana  he  fairly  snatched  it 
with  both  hands,  so  that  I  could  not  get  it  away 
to  peel  for  him.  He  tore  the  skin,  and  despatched 
it  with  such  enjoyment  that  he  was  furnished  with 
bananas  from  that  time. 

"Generally  he  ate  sitting  up  like  a  kangaroo,  but 
when  the  piece  was  large  he  sometimes  laid  down 
on  his  back  or  side,  and  brought  both  hands  and 


236  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

feet  into  use  to  help.  Occasionally,  if  convenient,  he 
sat  up  against  a  book  or  a  stick  of  wood,  leaning 
on  one  elbow  with  a  most  sentimental  air." 

I  am  glad  to  say  for  Kinkie,  that  his  mistress,  in 
this  matter  of  eating,  gives  him  a  good  character. 
He  was  both  moderate  and  particular,  which  cannot 
be  said  for  his  cousin  Coati,  who  was  actually  om- 
nivorous, and  gluttonous  at  that.  Kinkajou's  prefer- 
ence was  the  banana,  and  of  these,  though  very  fond, 
he  never  ate  more  than  three  in  the  twenty-four 
hours,  and  often  not  more  than  two.  He  was  not 
only  delicately  dainty,  but  "  deliberate  to  the  last 
degree,"  taking  time  in  eating,  as  if  in  thoughtful 
enjoyment  of  his  meal.  This  is  in  its  way  refine- 
ment; for  generally  animals  will  bolt  their  food,  d  la 
restaurant,  like  "the  paragon." 

Of  the  appetencies  of  Kinkajou  Mrs.  Miller's  account 
to  me  is  remarkable,  differing  so  much  from  his  cous- 
ins, the  Coon  and  the  Coati.  The  raccoon  has  an 
appetite  for  a  very  varied  fare,  and  not  always  very 
nice  about  it  either,  albeit  his  much  washing.  As  for 
the  Coati,  nothing  comes  objectionable,  unless  it  be 
actually  putrid.  Woe  to  my  lady's  conserves  or  sweets, 
if  he  get  into  her  pantry !  He  will  literally  gorge  him- 
self to  a  surfeit ;  and  let  him  even  then  get  out  on 
the  sward,  and  he  will  root  up  the  earth-worms,  and 
devour  them  with  avidity,  as  a  top-off  to  the  marma- 
lade. 

In  the  matter  of  pets,  this  niceness  and  cleanliness 
in  the  animal's  choice  and  use  of  food  is  a  desira- 
ble quality.  Says  the  lady:  "I  could  not  induce 


COUSIN   THREE,   THE    KINKAJOU.  237 

my  pet  to  touch  any  insect  at  my  command,  and 
he  did  not  show  fondness  for  sweets."  This  was 
singular;  moreover,  he  never  touched  the  ardent,  pre- 
ferred water,  ignored  coffee,  would  take  milk,  and 
upon  occasion  a  sip  of  sweetened  tea  if  weak ;  all 
which  was  wise  in  a  creature  of  such  high  nervous 
organization. 

And  if  particular  in  dietetics  the  "  kinkajou's  prep- 
arations for  sleep  were  no  less  peculiar.  He  often 
curled  his  tail  from  the  tip  into  a  perfectly  regular 
coil,  which  he  used  for  a  cushion,  sitting  upon  it, 
and  letting  his  pretty  little  finger-like  toes  hang 
over  the  edge ;  but  if  he  wished  to  sleep,  he  placed 
his  face  on  this  cushion,  put  his  hands  around  and 
over,  or  tucked  them  in  behind  his  head,  and  drew 
the  long  hind  -  legs  and  feet  up  around  the  whole, 
making  a  complete  ball.  Sometimes  when  on  the 
floor  he  curled  the  tail  around  outside.  This  was 
his  favorite  attitude  for  sleep  through  the  day." 

Mrs.  Miller  says  of  her  pet :  "  He  was  one  of  the 
most  nervous  and  observing  creatures  I  ever  saw; 
not  a  movement  or  a  sound  escaped  his  notice  when 
awake.  He  would  lie  on  my  shoulder  or  the  back 
of  a  chair  by  the  hour,  and  watch  the  shadows, — 
especially  his  own,  —  as  they  fell  on  the  carpet;  lie 
listened  to  the  noises  outside,  cats,  dogs,  the  elevated 
railroad,  —  the  latter  with  manifest  disapproval. 

"  He  never  liked  to  have  any  one  come  up  be- 
hind him.  A  sudden  noise  startled  him  greatly,  and 
his  tiny  hand  had  always  a  nervous  jerk  when  I 
held  it  in  mine.  He  had  a  most  sensitive  organi- 


238  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

zation.  At  a  distance,  he  liked  to  sit  up  and  look 
at  us,  but  if  we  moved  to  approach  him,  he  turned 
his  back,  cuddled  into  a  corner,  or  buried  his  head 
under  a  blanket.  It  was  not  fear,  for  he  readily 
climbed  up  on  us,  and,  in  fact,  at  last  became  trouble- 
somely  familiar. 

"He  was  playful  in  a  quiet  way.  He  amused  him- 
self with  a  string,  as  a  kitten  does,  lying  on  his  back 
and  using  all-fours  to  toss  it  up  and  pull  it  around. 
In  the  same  way  he  played  with  a  long  gold  -  chain, 
biting  and  tossing  it  around,  and  he  was  extremely 
ticklish.  His  principal  plaything  was  his  own  tail, 
which  had  a  curious  appearance  of  independent  motion. 
It  curled  around  his  neck,  laid  itself  over  his  eyes,  or 
moved  back  and  forth  before  his  face,  while  he,  lying 
on  his  back,  seized  it,  pretended  to  bite  and  worry  it. 

"The  little  animal  was  pretty  as  well  as  interesting; 
about  the  size  of  a  small  cat,  with  a  furry,  prehensile 
tail,  which  was  always  curled  over  at  the  tip.  He  had 
kinky  wool,  of  a  beautiful  golden-brown  color,  darker 
on  the  back,  and  shining  golden  tips  in  the  daylight; 
this  stood  straight  out  all  over  his  body,  excepting  on 
the  back  of  his  hands,  where  it  was  silky  and  laid 
flat." 

His  hands  might  be  the  envy  of  a  dude,  for  "  though 
without  opposable  thumbs,  they  were  beautifully  shaped, 
with  long  delicate  fingers,  ribbed  to  the  knuckles,  with 
double  joints,  enabling  him  to  bend  them  either  way, 
and  soft,  thick  cushions  or  pads  inside,  so  that  he  was 
shod  with  silence.  His  feet  were  exactly  like  his  hands, 
excepting  a  long  heel-bone.  Both  hands  and  feet  had 


COUSIN    THREE,   THE    KINKAJOU.  239 

long  claws  instead  of  nails,  and  were  flesh-colored 
inside. 

"His  head  was  really  beautiful,  shaped  somewhat  like 
a  cat's;  the  face  was  of  a  grayish  color;  he  had 
delicate,  sensitive  ears,  not  large,  but  very  wide-open 
and  movable  with  every  emotion ;  his  eyes  were  enor- 
mously large  for  his  size,  very  full  and  prominent,  black 
and  gentle  in  expression,  and  over  the  inner  corner  of 
oadi  was  a  little  tuft  of  hair  like  a  cat's  whiskers, 
about  an  inch  an  a  half  long.  He  had  also  whiskers 
on  the  sides  of  his  nose  like  a  cat's,  and  another  tuft 
of  similar  length  under  the  chin.  The  nose  was  bare, 
and  the  nostrils  were  the  peculiar  shape  of  the  lemur's. 
His  tongue  was  of  great  length,  and  very  thin." 

The  measurements  given  me  of  this  interesting  pet 
by  the  lady  are:  ''The  length  from  tip  of  nose  to  root 
of  tail,  fifteen  inches,  while  the  tail  itself  is  sixteen 
inches  long.  The  girth  of  the  body  just  behind  the 
fore-limbs  was  eleven  inches  and  a  half."  The  animal 
was  young,  and  I  should  think  not  fully  grown,  and 
the  length  of  the  tail  in  relation  to  that  of. the  body 
seemed  to  me  remarkable.  As  this  member  was 
covered  with  long  hair,  it  was  really  beautiful. 

Some  of  his  habits  showed  the  instincts  of  inheri- 
tance. Compared  with  the  formidable  foes  in  its  native 
forests,  this  pretty  creature  was  feeble  indeed.  Hence 
the  incessant  circumspection,  and  the  dislike  of  the  pet 
to  have  any  one  behind  it.  Says  the  lady: 

"Stealthy  movement  and  almost  entire  silence  were 
characteristic  of  the  kinkajou.  In  all  the  time  he  lived 
with  us  we  seldom  heard  a  sound  from  him.  Once, 


240  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

when  accidentally  hurt,  he  uttered  a  chattering  sound 
like  nothing  so  much  as  that  made  by  a  stick  drawn 
across  a  picket-fence,  at  the  same  time  showing  his 
teeth  like  a  snarling  dog.  He  repelled  strangers 
with  a  rough  breathing,  a  sort  of  "huff."  When 
asleep,  we  sometimes  heard  from  under  the  blanket 
where  he  lay  a  low  "yap"  like  a  dreaming  puppy's, 
or  a  whine  like  a  dog's.  Save  these  few  times,  he 
never  uttered  a  sound. 

"As  time  passed,  and  he  became  better  acquainted 
and  lost  all  fear,  he  grew  more  affectionate  and 
sociable.  Especially  was  he  so  with  his  particular 
mistress  and  friend,  to  whom  he  had  always  showed 
partiality.  Even  in  his  wildest  days  he  would  put  a 
soft  hand  through  the  wires,  generally  both  of  them, 
to  be  held,  or  to  seize  a  finger  to  lick.  He  liked  to 
have  me  hold  my  face  near  the  wires,  and  let  him 
put  his  hands  on  it.  Every  moment  that  he  was  out 
he  insisted  on  being  upon  me,  my  lap,  my  arm,  or, 
best  of  all,  my  shoulder,  where  he  would  lie  at  full 
length,  head  outwards,  to  watch  the  room,  with  his 
tail  around  my  neck  as  an  anchor.  Nor  did  he  lie 
quiet  even  there.  One  moment  he  would  suddenly 
turn  and  lick  my  cheek;  then,  as  unexpectedly,  would 
he  take  a  gentle  nip  at  my  ear,  and  first  and  last  and 
always  jerk  at  my  hair,  which  he  seemed  to  regard  as 
made  for  him  to  pull  down,  tangle,  and  play  with. 

"Of  this  toying  with  the  head  he  made  a  business, 
standing  on  my  shoulder,  putting  both  hands  on  my 
head,  and  settling  himself  for  a  good  frolic.  What  he 
wished  to  accomplish  I  never  found  out,  for  no  one 


COUSIN    THREE,   THE    KINKAJOU.  241 

could  long  endure  the  rough  treatment.  If  I  succeeded 
in  keeping  him  oft'  my  shoulder,  he  would  establish 
himself  on  my  arm,  which  he  clasped  with  all  four 
limbs,  and  held  on  for  dear  life,  while  he  licked  or 
playfully  bit  my  hand  or  wrist.  To  shake  him  off 
was  utterly  impossible;  he  had  a  wonderful  grip,  and 
the  more  one  shook  the  closer  he  held. 

"As  the  weather  grew  warm,  this  little  fur  boa  was 
not  so  comfortable  around  the  neck;  neither  did  I 
enjoy  the  warm  little  body  glued  to  my  arm ;  but  it 
was  impossible  to  get  relief.  If  I  put  him  down,  or 
upon  some  one  else  for  a  rest,  he  would  climb  over 
thc'in  and  amuse  himself  till  I  made  some  movement 
or  spoke,  when  instantly  his  quaint  little  face  turned, 
he  abandoned  all  else,  and  ran  for  me.  When  I  made 
violent  effort  to  drive  him  away,  pushing  or  in  any 
way  exciting  him,  he  never  was  scared;  the  more 
he  was  alarmed,  the  more  frantically  he  would  run 
for  me,  clamber  up  my  chair,  and  mount  to  my 
shoulder,  as  though  that  were  his  haven  of  refuge. 
The  more  I  disturbed  and  pushed  and  tried  to  shake 
him  off,  the  tighter  he  clung,  and  the  more  persistently 
he  returned.  Sometimes,  when  particularly  affectionate, 
he  threw  all  four  arms  around  my  head  so  as  com- 
pletely to  embrace  it,  and  buried  his  teeth  in  my 
hair." 

There  is  an  overdoing  of  a  good  thing.  Amiable 
attentions  may  be  so  persistent  as  to  become  as  bad 
as  persecution.  With  summer  heat,  and  this  adhesive 
living  pillow  on  the  head,  and  a  bushy  live  boa 
coiled  around  the  neck,  —  it  is  little  wonder  that 


242  ANIMAL   MEMOIRS. 

the  kind  mistress  should  at  last  break  down :  "  He 
would  throw  his  tail  and  perhaps  an  arm  around 
my  neck,  and  hold  closely  enough  nearly  to  choke 
me.  This  soon  became  intolerable.  I  could  neither 
read  nor  do  anything,  except  devote  myself  entirely 
to  the  kinkajou." 

As  a  pet  this  Kinkajou  had  some  very  good  quali- 
ties. In  answer  to  inquiries  I  learned  from  his 
owner  that  he  was  not  capricious. 

"He  was  one  of  the  most  even-tempered  little 
creatures  I  ever  saw.  He  never  showed  anger  but 
once,  and  then  he  was  hurt.  His  anger  then  went 
no  further  than  merely  a  showing  of  the  teeth  and 
uttering  a  sort  of  chattering  sound." 

I  asked:  "How  did  he  act  under  chastisement?" 
To  this  was  the  answer  "that  he  had  never  been 
chastised,  so  it  was  not  possible  to  tell." 

My  next  question  was :  "  Had  he  any  preference  ? " 
And  the  reply  was :  "  Decidedly.  He  was  extremely 
fond  of  me  (his  mistress),  and  next  to  me  he  liked 
my  daughter.  But  he  never  liked  gentlemen  very 
well." 

Of  the  animal's  moderation  in  eating  enough  has 
been  already  said. 

But,  alas,  for  poor  little  Cercoleptes !  His  cutting-up 
was  carried  to  an  incompatible  extreme.  Kinkajou's 
high  jinks  had  exhausted  all  forbearance.  His  very 
affections  became  too  fond.  The  creature's  attentions 
grew  worse  than  the  exactions  of  the  unremitting 
baby. 

So   the   end   of    toleration   came,   and  his   kind   mis- 


COUSIN    THREE,   THE    KINKAJOU.  243 

tress  resolved  on  a  parting :  "  The  weather  was  now 
very  warm,  and  I  could  not  endure  his  embarrassing 
attentions.  I  would  not  keep  him  confined  to  his 
cage,  so  I  presented  him  to  the  National  Museum  at 
Washington,  where  he  was  not  so  gentle  and  amiable 
as  he  had  been  with  us,  but  bit  and  scratched,  and, 
in  fact,  went  quite  back  to  savagery."  For  it  is  a 
very  serious  let-down,  being  made  a  vulgar  show- 
animal  to  the  unfeeling  public,  after  playing  circus  on 
his  own  account  in  my  lady's  parlor. 

As  a  philosophical  writer  on  nature,  Buffon  formerly 
held  a  high  rank.  Yet  his  language  is :  "  The  animal 
is  a  purely  material  being,  which  neither  thinks  nor 
reflects,  but  which,  nevertheless,  acts."  "The  principle 
which  determines  an  animal's  actions  proceeds  from 
a  purely  mechanical  influence."  But  we  will  even  in 
the  three  cousins  consider  it  proven  that  these  lowly 
beings  can  "  remember,  combine  and  reflect." 

Of  Nasua,  and  Procyon,  there  are  several  species,  but 
of  Kinkajou  but  one.  This  playful  innocent  is  the 
last  of  his  tribe ;  for  it  can  hardly  be  doubted  that  in 
the  ancient  days  the  forests  of  South  America  were  the 
home  of  other  species  of  cercoleptes,  perhaps  though 
not  so  intelligent  as  the  species  whose  acquaintance 
we  have  just  made. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 


THE    MKEAGE     OF    THE     COUSINS. 

FTER  chronicling  such  achievements  of  Coati- 
Mondi  and  her  Cousins  Coon  and  Kinkajou, 
shall  we  not  institute  a  search  into  their 
genealogy,  and  so  establish  or  set  aside  our  suspicion 
of  distant  monkey  relationship. 

First,  I  must  recall  a  generalization  in  zoology, 
which  when  first  made  awakened  profound  interest, 
Louis  Agassiz  leading  the  way. 

Agassiz  pointed  out  with  nice  precision  the  existence 
in  certain  animals  of  two  sets  of  traits,  —  one  proper 
to,  and  marking  their  peculiar  individuality  as  mem- 
bers of  an  order,  or  family ;  and  the  other  set  destined 
to  a  fuller  unfolding  in  animals  yet  to  be  created. 

In  a  word,  the  species  in  question  was  regarded  as 
looking  forward  to  or  foreshadowing  in  these  seemingly 
eccentric  traits  the  characteristics  of  animals  yet  to 
come.  As,  for  example,  take  the  ancient  Ganoids,  or 
fishes  covered  with  shining,  bony  scales,  as  the  word 
signifies.  Their  common  representative  to-day  is  the 
sturgeon,  which,  though  a  fish,  has  structural  and  phy- 
siological points  that  belong  to  the  reptiles.  Regarding 
these  curious  traits  as  put  together  in  one  individual, 

244 


THE    LINEAGE    OF    THE    COUSINS.  245 

and  in  a  sense  to  be  yet  separated  from  it,  and 
specialized  in  other  'and  higher  animals,  Agassiz  in- 
vented a  term  to  express  these  facts,  namely,  "syn- 
thetic type."  Dana  prefers  the  phrase  "  comprehensive 
type,"  and  Guyot  used  the  term  "undivided  type." 

Something  of  this  was  discussed  when  considering 
the  structure  of  the  Water-mole,  and  the  Porcupine 
Anteater  of  Australia. 

It  must  have  appeared  to  the  reader  that  Coati 
had  structural  points  suggesting  other  animals,  and 
even  their  habits,  —  for  instance,  its  plantigradal  feet, 
how  like  the  bear,  so  much  as  to  cause  it  to  be 
called  the  earth-bear.  Then  come  those  traits  so 
simian  -  or  monkeyish,  —  that  unappeasable  inquisitive- 
ness,  and  that  capacity  for  quasi-human  expedients, 
and  that  monkey  vice  of  incessant  teasing,  and  that 
monkey  chattering,  expressing  terror  or  distress. 

The  reader  should  be  told  that  in  scientific  work 
to  the  sober-minded  is  allowed  that  which  is  called 
the  tentative  hypothesis.  It  is  an  effort  to  untie  or 
to  cut  the  knot  of  a  difficulty,  and  can  only  be 
allowed  to  the  honest  theorist  who  is  feeling  his  way. 
There  is  a  vast  difference  between  scientific  romance 
and  the  scientific  imagination.  This  last  was  a  gift 
of  Germany's  great  poet.  Goethe's  guesses  were  neither 
blunders  nor  vagaries.  His  theory  of  the  genesis  of 
the  flower,  of  the  vertebrate  origin  of  the  skull,  and 
his  forecast  of  the  doctrine  of  descent,  were  all  marvel- 
ous births,  but  legitimately  begotten,  the  offspring  of 
pure  scientific  imagination. 

In  tracing   the   pedigree  of  some   regal   line,  perhaps 


246  ANIMAL   MEMOIRS. 

we  should  reach  a  very  ancient  Norman  stock.  But 
however  ancient,  it  would  be  the  Norman  of  civil- 
ization, not  his  savage  progenitor  of  the  stone  age. 
This  would  be  as  far  up  the  stream  of  the  past  as 
we  could  sail.  So  with  our  Nasua,  although  the 
stretch  of  time  is  vastly  greater,  we  must  stop  at 
the  origin  of  the  Educabilia,  the  quasi  intelligent 
animals,  those  namely  which  have  the  cerebrum  or 
frontal  brain  relatively  large  and  roofing  backwards, 
or  overlapping  the  cerebellum  or  small  hinder  brain. 

1.  As  to   that   quadrumanous   alliance   of  Coati ;    on 
what  line  of  reasoning  may  the  genealogy  be  traced? 
My  first  impression  of  this  fact  came   to  me  as  a  con- 
viction   of   the    imagination.      I    had    so    studied    the 
living   animal    as   to    know   its    ways,   and    I    came  to 
suspect,  as  an  inheritance,  the  monkey  strain.     I  could 
see  the  traits,  but  could  not  demonstrate  their  physical 
or  organic  relations. 

2.  That  which   backed   up   the  imagination   was   the 
psychological    or     mental     manifestation.      Here     were 
data  for   comparison,   in    such    well-marked    lines    ran 
the  parallels    of    expression    of   the    Nasuan    and    the 
monkey   mind.      The   hints    afforded    in    the    complex 
use    made    of   the    hands    and    the     tail, — the     many 
monkey  tricks  or  antics,  which   came   not  of  training, 
but    of    real   generic   aptitudes,  —  these    all    pointed    to 
a  physical    correspondence,   and    looked    directly   to    a 
very  remote  ancestral  inheritance. 

3.  I  think   it  was  in   1873,  that  an   interesting   ana- 
tomical discovery  was  announced   by   the   great   acade- 
mician, the  successor  of  Cuvier,  Henri    Milne-Edwards. 


THE  LINEAGE  OF  THE  COUSINS.  247 

He  had  dissected  a  Nasua  and  had  discovered  in 
the  limb  bones  of  this  animal  structural  alliances  to 
the  lemurs  or  lowest  monkeys.  Here  was,  indeed, 
a  pleasant  and  important  confirmatory  fact. 

4.  But  to  round  out  the  proof,  one  more  class  of 
evidence  was  needed,  the  testimony  of  paleontology, 
the  science  of  fossils.  In  behalf  of  the  relationship  of 
the  recent,  or  living  creature  to  the  extinct  animals, 
would  the  fossils  bear  witness  in  favor  of  my  theory? 
I  did  not  have  long  to  wait.  The  promise  of  confirma- 
tion came  in  a  note  to  a  scientific  paper  read  before  the 
American  Philosophical  Society,  by  Professor  E.  D.  Cope, 
in  April,  1873.  It  read  as  follows :  "  Dr.  Lockwood,  in  a 
recent  number  of  the  Popular  Science  Monthly,  expressed 
serious  suspicions  of  the  quadrumanous  relationships  of 
the  Coati,  little  thinking  at  the  time  that  the  speci- 
mens to  confirm  his  view  were  at  that  moment  in  the 
hands  of  paleontologists." 

I  regret  that  space  will  not  permit  me  to  take  down 
in  detail  this  evidence  from  Nature's  own  record. 
I  can  only  say  that  fossil  bones  had  been  found  in 
the  Eocene  formation  of  Wyoming,  which  demonstrated 
the  ancient  existence  of  animals  whose  skeletons  had 
features  characteristic  of  the  Raccoon,  the  Coati-Mondi, 
and  of  the  Lemurs,  or  lowest  monkeys.  And  not  only 
have  the  demonstrations  of  Professor  Cope  completely 
established  the  supposed  relationship,  but  they  have 
been  fully  confirmed  by  those  of  Professor  Marsh  and 
Professor  Leidy,  whose  discoveries  in  the  same  region 
are  in  full  accord. 

I  wish  my    young  readers  would  peruse  this  short 


24:8  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

chapter  over  again,  and  try  to  master  this  argument 
by  which  I  have  established  the  truthfulness  of  that 
vision  which  the  scientific  imagination  obtained  in 
my  study  of  those  recondite  creatures,  the  survival  of 
a  fauna  almost  extinct.  Then  were  seen  the  realities 
of  a  hidden  framework.  The  sum  of  it  all  is  this: 
The  genealogy  of  the  three  cousins,  Coati,  Raccoon,  and 
Kinkajou,  shows  them  to  be  the  lingering  representa- 
tives of  animal  forms  long  since  passed  away. 

And  is  there  not  in  this  sketch  of  the  animal  life  of 
the  past  and  present  of  our  continent  a  prophecy  of  the 
far-off  future?  As  shown  by  the  fossils,  the  Old  World 
in  its  now  extinct  animals  shows  an  alliance  with  these 
survivals  of  the  former  races  of  the  New  World.  Hence 
it  seems  reasonable  to  believe  that  a  time  will  come, 
though  in  the  very  distant  future,  when  even  these 
remnants  of  the  ancient  fauna  shall  have  passed  away  — 
and  the  then  living  animal  occupants  of  the  Americas 
shall  have  approached  very  nearly  the  forms  of  the 
animals  now  inhabiting  Europe.  Though  what  effect 
the  more  complete  occupancy  of  the  globe  by  man  will 
have  upon  the  lower  animals  is  a  serious  question, 
unless  his  passion  for  destruction  shall  be  moderated. 


CHAPTER  XX. 


THE  GRAY  RABBIT.  —BUNDLE'S  BIOGRAPHY. 

BIT  of  odd  yet  attractive  innocence  is  the 
wild  rabbit  of  Europe.  I  can  hardly  say  as 
much  for  its  descendant,  that  piebald  and  lop- 
eared  pet  of  my  boyhood;  for  though  a  very  little  boy 
at  the  time,  I  still  remember  my  first  pair  of  pet 
rabbits.  So  high  their  strain,  they  had  become  mere 
animal  dudes.  The  one  mark  for  admiration  was  their 
preposterously  long  ears,  —  so  long  that  the  animals 
could  not  hold  them  up.  They  were  so  dainty  and 
delicate  that  every  strong  point  of  the  wild  stock  had 
been  pampered  out  of  them.  In  fact  they  had  become 
unnatural  in  every  way. 

That  present  of  a  pair  of  fancy  rabbits  proved  an 
interesting  event  in  my  young  life.  It  quickened  my 
natural  sympathy  with  animals  in  that  I  had  become 
an  owner  of  living  things.  This  imposed  the  responsi- 
bility of  their  care,  and  awoke  in  me  new  energies. 
I  must  set  to  work  to  make  them  a  hutch,  —  not  a 
small  draft  this  on  my  invention ;  for  material  was 
limited  and  very  hard  to  get,  and  tools  were  few. 
Hence  some  of  the  sterling  virtues  of  the  boy  were 
severely  taxed.  But  success  rewarded  endeavor.  The 

249 


250  ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

hutch  was  finished;    and  with  pride  I    put   my  rabbits 
in  their  new   home   which    my  own  hands   had    built. 

Now  came  a  sense  of  real  care,  for  every  day  I  must 
provide  their  food.  Quite  often  the  refuse  of  the 
garden  failed.  I  then  had  to  scour  the  meadows,  and 
the  green  banks  of  the  roadsides.  I  soon  learned  that 
my  Bunnies  were  real  epicures  in  their  own  way. 
They  were  very  fond  of  lettuce,  and  I  observed  that  if 
a  leaf  or  stem  of  an  old  plant  was  broken  a  white 
milk  exuded.  I  found  this  to  be  true  of  other  plants, 
dandelions,  sow-thistles,  milkweed,  etc.  I  afterwards 
learned,  without  knowing  the  meaning  of  the  word, 
that  Lactuca  (milky)  was  the  botanical  name  of  the 
lettuce  and  some  of  my  wild  plants.  In  fact,  I  was 
unconsciously  becoming  a  botanist ;  for  I  wondered  if 
one  of  my  wild  plants  was  not  a  wild  lettuce,  which 
years  afterwards  I  was  able  to  determine  for  myself. 

I  was  "getting  troublesome"  to  the  older  folks, 
who  would  answer  my  questions  with  a  "  Pooh !  pooh ! " 
and  an  assurance  that  there  was  no  lettuce  about  it.' 
How  could  there  be,  seeing  it  was  only  a  weed? 
Despite  the  judgment  of  his  betters,  the  "queer  boy" 
was  learning  some  profound  things  about  his  pets, 
and  even  of  wild  plants. 

It  puzzled  me  to  find,  on  actually  tasting  it,  that 
this  milky  fluid  was  intensely  bitter;  and  yet  my 
rabbits  were  inordinately  fond  of  such  plants  as 
contained  it.  I  happened  to  find  in  a  book  that  this 
white  fluid  contained  opium;  but  I  had  heard  that 
opium  was  a  poison.  Now  as  the  Bunnies  were  thriv- 
ing and  actually  fat,  I  was  impelled  to  ask  my 


BUXNIE'S    BIOGRAPHY.  251 

superiors  for  light,  and  was  answered  impatiently: 
"Yes!  yes!  master  inquisitive!  to  be  sure  opium  is  a 
poison;  but  don't  you  know  that  what's  one  man's 
meat's  another  man's  poison?" 

My  pets  grew  finely,  and  the  doe  to  my  delight 
began  preparing  for  family  cares.  To  get  a  lining  for 
the  nest  she  seemed  to  me  bent  on  denuding  herself 
of  fur.  With  what  anxiety  I  watched  them  day  by 
day!  I  really  became  partial,  —  even  putting  the  nicest 
leaves  to  the  doe,  and  pushing  the  buck  aside  while 
she  ate  them. 

One  morning  I  found  that  four  little  ones  had 
come.  Almost  screaming  with  delight,  I  ran  back 
to  the  house  to  tell  the  folks,  and  then  I  returned  to 
the  hutch.  But  I  soon  found  that  all  the  maternal 
tenderness  had  been  exhausted  in  preparing  the  soft 
nest  for  the  young.  And  once  the  young  rabbits  were 
born,  the  parents  became  the  most  cruel  and  unnatural 
of  ogres. 

Rabbit  Intelligence. 

The  domesticated  rabbit  gains  next  to  nothing  intel- 
lectually over  its  wild  ancestor,  but  becomes  emotionally 
unnatural,  if  not  pathologically  unsound.  At  the  best, 
under  domestication,  the  rabbit,  like  the  guinea-pig, 
Cavia  cobaia,  with  its  rabbit-like  head  and  face,  gets 
simply  coddled  into  a  stupid  harmlessness.  And  for 
all  its  misleading  name,  the  guinea-pig  is  a  rodent 
the  same  as  the  rabbit. 

We  have  heard  of  the  "learned  pig,"  which  played 
cards,  told  fortunes,  and  did  other  such  wonder-breed- 


252  ANIMAL   MEMOIRS. 

ing  things.  So  it  is  not  incredible  that  even  the  stupid 
rabbit  has  been  taught  some  strange  tricks.  An  old 
showman  has  exhibited  an  educated  hare,  one  that 
could  beat  with  its  toes  on  a  drum.  In  a  spurt  of 
temper,  the  animal  has  a  way  of  rapidly  beating  on  the 
back  the  object  that  offends  it.  This  habit  the  mounte- 
bank had  turned  to  his  advantage. 

Because  of  its  general  harmlessness  and  abundance 
this  animal  often  serves  the  purpose  of  experiments  in 
surgery,  and  in  this  connection  the  following  account 
of  a  real  prodigy  among  rabbits  is  vouched  for  as  a 
truthful  story :  — 

"A  rabbit  —  one  of  the  ordinary  species  —  was  bought 
for  purposes  of  experiment  at  the  physiological  labora- 
tory in  Paris,  and,  after  a  portion  of  the  facial  nerve 
had  been  removed,  it  was  left  to  run  about  the 
laboratory.  It  very  soon  recovered  from  the  effect  of 
the  operation,  and  was  for  four  years  M.  Laborde's 
affectionate  companion.  It  would  await  at  the  top  of 
the  stairs  his  arrival  in  the  morning,  and  would 
sometimes  run  to  meet  him.  Whenever  it  had  the 
opportunity  the  rabbit  would  jump  upon  his  knee, 
and  was  as  fond  of  caresses  as  a  cat.  During  the 
progress  of  an  experiment  it  would  sit  on  the  operating 
table  watching  the  proceedings  with  every  appearance 
of  interest.  Bunnie's  chief  delight,  however,  was  in  a 
microscopical  examination.  As  soon  as  M.  Laborde 
put  his  eye  to  the  microscope  the  rabbit  would  perch 
on  his  shoulders  and  endeavor  to  take  a  peep.  This 
wonderful  animal  lived  on  terms  of  the  most  affection- 
ate friendship  with  two  dogs  belonging  to  the  labora- 


BUNNIE'S    BIOGRAPHY.  253 

tory;  but  when  a  strange  dog  arrived  he  invariably 
turned  it  out,  and  sometimes  chased  it  along  the  street. 
Nor  did  he  show  himself  very  friendly  to  unfamiliar 
biped  visitors." 

Here  is  an  innocent  animal  with  a  scientific  reputa- 
tion,—  the  assistant  and  companion  of  a  savant  of 
celebrity.  In  a  word,  the  little  thing  is  chronicled  as  a 
rodent  of  renown.  It  would  be  grand  if  one  could 
analyze  the  head-work  of  that  little  fellow.  But  prying 
into  a  Bunnie's  noddle  is  not  an  easy  task.  However, 
let  us  imagine  an  hysterical  patient  squirming  and 
squealing  under  an  operation,  and  Bunnie  looking  on, 
and  thinking  to  herself:  "What  a  fuss!  I've  been 
there  myself,  and  didn't  mind  it  much!" 

In  its  wild  state,  dwelling  in  communities,  with  a 
living  to  get,  and  many  foes  to  shun,  the  wild  rabbit 
has  sharpened  wits  and  many  entertaining  ways.  I 
have  seen  them  in  their  warrens  abroad,  and  a  rollick- 
ing abandon  is  their  early  morning  frolic.  Then  all 
of  a  sudden  comes  a  still,  serious  watchfulness,  a 
oneness  of  circumspection,  the  whole  camp  mounting 
guard ;  for  sitting  on  his  hinder  parts,  every  individual 
is  on  the  alert.  It  is  light  and  shade,  Milesian  merri- 
ment topping  off  with  a  bit  of  a  row.  All  Bunnie's 
best  strokes  are  hindward.  He  will  face  a  friend,  then 
frisk  around,  and  get  in  his  points  in  a  sort  of 
back-handed  way,  and  with  a  celerity  that  precludes 
anticipation. 

Let  one  get  his  temper  up,  and  he  will  stamp  the 
ground  in  pettish  and  angry  demonstration.  All  this 
has  in  it  a  spice  of  high-class  nature ;  for  I  have  seen 


254  ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

chimpanzee  do  the  same  thing,  —  yes,  and  coming  higher 
even  to  the  "paragon  of  animals,"  how  many  of  my 
readers  have  recollections  of  a  similar  terrorism.  So 
this  animal  pantomime  of  "stamping  out"  is  very 
human  in  appearance  at  least. 

Though  not  without  cunning,  if  a  ferret  invade  its 
domicile  it  is  all  up  with  Bunnie.  It  will  make  a 
feeble  effort  to  escape,  and  perhaps  at  fight,  But  the 
poor  thing  knows  that  it  is  doomed,  and  with  a  cry 
pitiful  and  baby-like  it  gives  up.  It  sometimes,  how- 
ever, proves  equal  to  the  occasion,  and  brings  its  foe 
to  grief;  for  a  terrier  dog  has  been  known  to  squeeze 
itself  into  the  burrow,  when  Cony,  returning  to  find 
his  domicile  entered,  has  with  great  energy  closed  up 
the  entrance,  thus  burying  alive  the  invader  of  his 
home. 

And  this  mention  of  a  "  burrow "  itself  tells  the 
story.  The  American  Gray  Rabbit  is  not  a  burrower, 
but  the  English  rabbit  is.  Hence  its  name,  Lepus  cun- 
iculus.  In  England  I  once  went  through  a  rabbit  war- 
ren, or  place  where  rabbits  were  raised  for  the  market 
supply.  The  pretty  creatures,  on  our  entering  their 
domain,  stood  up  on  their  hind-feet,  and  looked  at  us 
with  their  large  lustrous  eyes,  keeping  their  great 
ears  erect  to  catch  every  sound.  Then  upon 
least  movement  that  we  made,  they  would  disappear 
as  if  they  had  sunk  into  the  earth.  In  fact, 
ground  was  honey-combed,  like  a  place  occupied  by 
prairie-dogs. 

But    all    this    is    writing    about    real    rabbits,  which 
is    not     my    main    purpose.      Perhaps     the     following 


•eat 
the 

ear 

the 


BUNNIE'S    BIOGRAPHY.  255 

occurrence  may  set  the  subject  in  a  proper  light:  A 
friend  had  procured  a  farm-hand  at  the  immigrant 
depot  at  Castle  Garden,  New  York.  He  brought  him 
most  of  the  way  by  steamboat,  then  took  him  in 
his  own  vehicle  to  the  farm,  some  five  miles  further. 
William  was  intelligent  and  made  sensible  remarks 
on  the  new  scenes  through  which  he  was  riding. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  man  made  the  acquaint- 
ance of  our  gray  rabbit,  one  which  had  been  caught 
without  harm  in  a  trap.  Attempting  to  toy  with  it, 
he  received  on  his  hand  a  smart  blow  from  botli 
hind-feet  of  the  affrighted  little  prisoner,  which  in- 
flicted quite  a  scratch,  on  which  he  exclaimed :  "  Sure, 
Master,  but  I  should  never  take  it  for  a  rabbit.  At 
home  we  would  call  it  a  young  hare." 

William  was  right.  The  gray  rabbit  is  a  hare, 
whose  true  technical  name  is  Lepus  sylvaticus;  and 
our  sketch,  thus  far,  is  applicable  only  to  the  true 
European  rabbit,  Lepus  cuniculus,  whose  trivial  or 
specific  name  denotes  a  miner  or  burrower,  which 
our  gray  rabbit  is  not. 

The  word  rabbit,  then,  simply  denotes  a  particular 
species  of  the  genus  Lepus,  of  which  the  word  hare 
is  the  generic  expression  in  the  English  and  some 
of  the  continental  languages.  Though  possessing  sev- 
eral species  of  hare,  America  does  not  include  the 
true  Old  World  rabbit.  Passing  by  certain  real  dis- 
tinctions of  form,  let  us  notice  some  striking  differ- 
ences of  habit.  The  cony  is  a  true  burrower,  and 
lives  in  communities.  The  hare  is  solitary,  and  as  a 
rule  does  not  burrow,  though  sometimes  found  occupy- 


256  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

ing  an  abandoned  burrow  of  some  other  animal,  like 
the  so-called  burrowing-owl,  Athene  cunicularia,  which 
occupies  the  deserted  burrows  of  the  prairie-dog, 
Oynomys  ludovicianus,  and  sometimes  by  trespass 
sharing  occupancy  with  the  living  owners.  Then  the 
rabbit,  like  the  guinea-pig,  brings  forth  its  little 
ones  full-haired  and  open-eyed ;  but  the  young  hare 
comes  into  being  nearly  naked  and  quite  blind, 
altogether  a  very  helpless  thing.  However,  the  popu- 
lar voice  has  fairly  got  the  start  of  science  in  this 
matter,  and  as  the  "  gray  rabbit "  it  will  be  always 
known. 

Molly   Cotton -Tail. 

But  I  think  it  will  interest  my  readers  to  be  told 
how  little  Molly  Cotton-tail  got  her  scientific  name. 
The  truth  is  the  systematists  got  things  so  badly 
mixed  that  not  until  recently  did  this  very  common 
animal  have  a  scientific  name  of  its  own.  Peter 
Kalm,  the  Swedish  botanist,  for  whom  Linne  named 
our  beautiful  Kalmia,  published  at  Stockholm  his 
Travels  in  North  America,  3  vols.  1753-61.  This 
is  the  earliest  book  containing  any  allusion  to  the 
little  hare,  and  it  is  referred  to  as  inhabiting  New 
Jersey. 

But  the  first  carefully  worked-out  diagnosis  of  the 
species  was  made  by  John  David  Schoepf,  who  in 
1783  wrote  an  accurate  scientific  description  of  it  in 
New  York,  which  he  published  the  year  following 
in  Germany.  What  is  strange  and  unfortunate,  he 
did  not  give  it  a  systematic  name,  but  simply  called 


BUNNIE'S    BIOGRAPHY.  257 

it,  "Der  Nord-Americanische  Haase, "  "The  North- 
American  Hare,"  and  some  of  the  systematists  jumped 
at  the  conclusion  that  by  "  North  American  Hare " 
the  savant  meant  Lepus  Americanus. 

It  was  some  sixty  years  afterwards  when  Professor 
Baird  translated  Schoepf's  description,  and  said:  "It 
is  not  a  little  remarkable  that  this,  one  of  the  best 
known  animals  of  North  America,  should  not  have 
received  a  distinct  scientific  name  until  1837,  when 
Dr.  Bach  man  gave  it  the  name  Lepus  sylvaticus,  the 
wood-hare.  Other  scientists  had  worked  on  the  case, 
but,  in  fatal  confusion,  had  mistaken  the  individual. 
Schreber,  in  1792,  named  it  Lepus  nana,  dwarf  hare, 
—  a  good  name,  but  his  description  applied  to  another 
hare.  So  it  fell  out  that  the  only  christening  the 
little  fellow  got  was  received  of  Rev.  John  Bachman, 
a  collaborator  of  Audubon."  In  what  follows  the 
words  hare  and  rabbit  will  be  used  interchangeably. 

The  hare  of  Europe,  unlike  other  wild  animals 
and  even  their  rabbits,  never  gets  fat,  and  this  no 
matter  how  good  may  be  its  feeding  grounds.  Our 
wood  hare  does  sometimes  get  quite  fat,  although  it 
never  makes  "kidney  fat."  But  if  during  a  hard 
winter  it  has  been  a  long  time  confined  to  its  form, 
the  condition  of  the  animal  becomes  extremely  bad. 

But  hares  are  often  the  subject  of  an  epidemic. 
In  his  monograph  on  the  Leporidse,  that  is,  the  hare 
family,  says  J.  A.  Allen:  "In  the  case  of  our  little 
wood  hare  (L.  sylvaticus),  I  have  repeatedly  met  with 
their  dead  bodies  in  the  woods  and  thickets,  bearing 
no  marks  of  a  violent  death,  and  have  noted  the 


258  ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

scarcity  of  these  animals  during  the  years  immedi- 
ately following."  The  Indians  declare  that  the  hares 
as  a  food  supply  are  sometimes  seriously  reduced  by 
disease. 

Mr.  Allen  cites  Dr.  J.  G.  Cooper,  in  the  American 
Naturalist,  who  says  of  a  certain  species :  "  Their 
numbers  seem  never  to  have  increased  much  north 
of  the  Columbia  and  Snake  rivers  since  the  epidemic 
(small-pox)  destroyed  them  some  years  since;  but 
north  of  these  rivers  they  became  common."  It  is 
too  pitiful  that  little  Bunnie  must  be  subject  in  so 
literal  a  sense  to  the  ills  that  human  flesh  is  heir  to. 

The  gray  rabbit  has  one  form  or  bed  to  which  he 
adheres  with  a  cat-like  attachment,  the  runway  to 
which  may  sometimes  be  easily  traced  because  of  the 
animal's  frequent  going  to  and  fro;  and  when  alarmed 
this  favorite  form  is  his  place  of  retreat  from  the 
sportsman  or  the  dog?.  But  when  pursued  he  does 
not  make  for  this  asylum  directly;  in  fact  he  runs 
with  high  speed  for  a  considerable  distance  from  the 
form ;  and  having  drawn  the  dogs  away,  will  then 
run  at  a  right  angle  from  the  course  just  made; 
then  turn  about,  and  with  the  highest  speed  possible 
make  straight  for  his  home. 

These  tactics  the  sportsman  calls  "doubling,"  and 
as  he  knows  this  trick  of  the  rabbit,  if  also  he  happens 
to  know  where  the  favorite  form  is,  Bunnie  has  a  poor 
show,  for  if  the  gunner  stations  himself  near  this 
place  the  game  retreating  homeward  becomes  an  easy 
prey. 

A  hunter   told    me  when    praising  his  hound,  that 


BUNNIE'S    BIOGRAPHY.  259 

by  its  bark  he  has  distinguished  the  doubling  at  half 
a  mile  distant,  and  shot  the  rabbit  at  his  return; 
but  that  an  old  rabbit,  if  you  miss  him,  will  avoid 
his  "favorite  bed,"  and  by  making  for  some  other  one 
may  give  you  trouble  to  get  him. 

We  have  seen  that  the  raccoon  by  a  sort  of  foresight 
locates  for  himself  several  "bed  nests,"  one  as  the 
favorite  place  and  the  others  as  temporary  retreats 
when  pressed  by  danger.  It  is  similar  with  our  little 
hare. 

An  old  rabbit  usually  has  a  series  of  forms  at 
distances  of  thirty  or  forty  yards  from  the  favorite  one. 
These  supplemental  forms  he  uses  for  comfort's  sake, 
and  for  .strategic  purposes.  For  his  comfort  he  dislikes 
to  face  the  wind,  and  when  in  repose  keeps  his  back 
to  windward.  With  the  change  of  wind  he  will  change 
the  form  for  one  looking  leeward.  The  animal  also 
makes  changes  for  purposes  of  strategy.  A  change 
may  be  made  upon  suspicion  of  danger ;  or  he  may  be 
circumvented  when  away  from  his  favorite  form. 
Though  if  the  danger  be  imminent,  he  usually  has 
some  hole  in  the  ground  or  place  under  or  behind 
a  log,  or  in  a  brush-heap,  into  which  he  at  once 
retreats.  If  not  taken  too  suddenly,  there  is  a  good 
deal  of  intelligence  in  his  methods  of  flight,  as  well  as 
in  his  temporary  change  of  domicile. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 


THE   GRAY  RABBIT  —  CONTINUED. 

Rabbit  Tracks. 

HERE  are  some  facts  so  interesting  in  the 
running  of  rabbits,  that  they  deserve  to  be 
given  with  a  little  detail.  They  do  not  con- 
nect their  forms  by  their  tracks,  but  take  prodigious 
leaps,  clearing  at  a  bound  from  fifteen  to  twenty  feet, 
and  the  zig-zags  and  doublings  are  well  suited  to 
deceive.  A  curious  feature  of  their  tracks  might 
delude  the  unwary  into  the  belief  that  they  were  made 
by  two,  and  directed  backwards.  The  hare  is  virtually 
a  plantigrade,  and  this  leaping  is  done  with  the  hind 
legs,  much  like  that  of  the  kangaroo.  Upon  the  light 
snow  or  on  the  soft  ground  the  spoor,  or  trail,  of  a 
rabbit  in  full  jump  comprises  two  dissimilar  pairs  of 
imprints;  a  pair  of  small  toe-tracks  inside  and  a  pair 
of  large,  full  foot-tracks  outside.  The  series  is  the 
impression  of  successive  leaps,  which  are  made  in  the 
following  way. 

The  two  little  front  feet  or  hands  are  put  pretty  close 
together,  while  the  hind  feet  are  set  somewhat  widely 
apart.  The  fore -feet  are  then  raised  from  the  ground, 

260 


THE    GRAY    RABBIT.  261 

and  the  body  by  the  same  act  is  thrown  back  so  as 
to  bring  the  entire  weight  upon  the  firmly  planted 
hind  -  feet,  in  which,  and  in  the  thighs,  and  on  the 
back  the  muscles  are  powerful,  hence  comes  the  tre- 
mendous spring.  In  alighting  the  forward  feet,  nearly 
close  together,  touch  the  ground  first;  then  come  down 
the  hinder  feet,  striking  outside  and  forward  of  the 
front  feet.  Thus  is  made  a  double  track,  the  large 
and  wide  pair  of  tracks  outside  and  forward  of  the 
small  one,  like  the  kangaroo's  track,  with  this  singular 
difference,  the  latter  makes  his  double  tracks  walking, 
for  when  leaping  the  fore  feet  do  not  touch  the 
ground. 

These  peculiarities  of  rabbit  tracks  were  noticed  by 
that  delightful  naturalist,  Robert  Kennicott,  in  1857, 
who  says:  "In  making  the  longest  leaps  the  fore -feet 
strike  in  a  line,  one  behind  the  other,  and  at  some 
distance  in  the  rear  of  the  hind  ones,  as  if  they  had 
been  again  raised  before  the  latter  had  touched  the 
surface."  It  is  noticeable  that  when  in  quest  of  food 
on  the  snow,  their  tracks  are  made  of  leaps  about  four 
feet  long. 

The  strategic  tact  and  knowingness  of  the  wild 
rabbit  was  well  understood  by  the  plantation  negroes, 
who  held  the  little  fellow  in  an  affection  of  a  gustatory 
kind.  The  upper  side  of  the  rabbit's  tail  is  brown, 
but  it  has  a  persistence  in  showing  the  under  side, 
which  is  like  a  toilet  puff,  cottony  white.  The  tail 
being  ordinarily  carried  erect,  looks  like  a  tuft  of 
pure  clean  cotton,  or  a  fresh  opened  cotton-boll,  hence 
its  familiar  name  among  the  negroes,  —  "little  cotton 


262  ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

tail."  Uncle  Remus,  though  partial,  always  gets  frater- 
nal when  on  this  subject,  and  makes  the  cunning  of 
"brer  rabbit"  circumvent  the  slyness  of  "brer  fox." 

The  thrifty  house  dame,  who  has  a  way  of  "  culling 
simples"  for  her  cuisine  and  leech-craft,  feels  badly 
hurt  when  the  spring  discloses  the  fact  that  of  her 
savory  pot-herbs  the  finest  tussock  has  been  used  by  a 
rabbit  as  a  form  through  the  winter,  and  the  whole 
middle  of  it  has  been  killed  by  the  heat  of  the 
occupant's  body.  In  a  friend's  garden  a  large  mat  of 
thyme  was  thus  nearly  ruined.  Who  has  not  heard  of 
improvident  humans  eating  themselves  out  of  house  and 
home?  What  self-possession  and  decorous  restraint  in 
this  our  little  solitaire.  However  pinching  the  winter's 
cold  and  scarce  the  food,  Cony  restrains  his  appetite, 
keeping  a  wise  care  of  his  covert  from  the  storm. 

In  some  things  certainly  the  gray  rabbit  is  quite 
particular,  and  sometimes  too  much  so  for  its  own 
good.  So  inquisitive  is  he  of  small  things  on  the 
way,  that  when  in  full  retreat  before  the  dog,  the 
whistle  of  the  hunter  to  stop  the  hound  will  some- 
times stop  the  rabbit  also.  Even  the  clicking  when 
setting  the  hammer  of  the  gun  will  check  the  poor 
dazed  thing  in  his  flight,  for  he  stops  *to  know  what 
the  unusual  sound  is.  True  the  pause  is  only  for  an 
instant,  but  that  is  enough  for  the  sportsman's  aim. 

In  the  woods  the  rabbit  will  course  through  the 
underbrush,  then,  after  making  a  tremendous  leap  at 
right  angles,  will  double  his  track.  These  movements 
he  will  vary  with  zig-zags,  greatly  bothering  the  hounds ; 
not  seeming  to  look  for  a  hole  unless  he  be  closely 


THE    GRAY    RABBIT.  263 

pressed,  and  a  hollow  tree  offers  an  illusive  asylum. 
In  cleared  land  he  makes  for  a  known  hiding-place. 
And  generally  he  knows  all  the  good  spots  in  a  wide 
territory. 

A  friend  of  mine,  an  intelligent  farmer,  tells  me 
that  once  after  a  heavy  fall  of  snow  he  marked  a 
rabbit  trail  at  considerable  distance  from  the  house. 
It  led  in  a  straight  line  to  the  hennery,  in  which  the 
game  was  found,  having  sought  this  shelter  from  the 
cold.  From  the  directness  of  the  trail  it  was  evident 
that  the  animal  had  full  knowledge  of  this  retreat. 
My  friend  also  told  me  too  of  an  old  buck  which  he 
had  often  tried  to  take,  but  which  would  either  by  a 
direct  or  circuitous  route  retreat  to  a  deserted  marmot's 
or  woodchuck's  hole,  which  he  had  long  occupied. 

Two  distinct  kinds  of  tracks  have  been  mentioned, — 
that  which  is  made  in  retreat  and  that  which  is  made 
when  foraging.  To  these  a  third  must  be  added 
having  two  sets  of  imprints,  in  lines  close  and  parallel 
to  each  other,  and  the  step-marks  at  very  short  dis- 
tances. These  are  the  courting-tracks.  At  the  turn 
of  midwinter,  or  about  the  ^beginning  of  February, 
the  male  looks  up  his  mate  or  mates.  At  this  time 
prudence  is  wanting ;  hence,  less  cautious  than  usual, 
they  fall  into  some  indiscretions  which  imperil  their 
safety.  In  truth,  it  is  with  these  simple  folks  much 
as  it  is  with  some  thought  to  be  wiser. 

If  the  snow  on  the  ground  be  soft,  these  double- 
tracks,  or  courting  ways,  betray  what  is  going  on, 
and  sometimes  the  nearness  of  the  lovers.  Our  rabbit 
likes  a  bit  of  play  in  the  evening  twilight  and  the 


264  ANIMAL   MEMOIRS. 

early  morning  dawn,  hence  he  has  been  called  a 
crepuscular  animal.  But  he  is  essentially  nocturnal, 
like  the  rodents  generally ;  and  the  evening  and  the 
morning  are  the  wooing  day.  The  doe  has  much  to 
pull  through.  If  the  season  proves  favorable,  three 
and  four  litters  are  to  be  raised  ere  the  next  winter 
comes.  The  rabbit,  like  many  other  rodents,  is  noted 
for  its  numerous  progeny. 

As  to  the  breeding  habits  of  the  wood-hare,  these 
mast  surely  have  undergone  a  change  in  the  well- 
populated  places  east.  A  thorough  hunter  tells  me 
he  has  never  found  a  nest  in  the  woods,  nor  even 
a  very  young  rabbit  there;  that  for  breeding  they 
prefer  the  cleared  land.  In  ploughing  up  old  grass- 
land in  spring,  the  ploughshare  sometimes  turns  out 
the  litter.  This  choice  of  the  meadow  has  to  do 
with  food,  and  secures  an  open  lookout  and  guards 
against  surprise. 

But  the  breeding-nest  of  the  gray  rabbit  is  a  very 
simple  affair.  A  hole  scratched  sloping  downward 
into  the  ground  about  eighteen  inches.  The  slope 
is  slight,  so  that  the  nest  is  very  near  the  surface. 
It  has  a  bed  made  of  dry  leaves  and  grass,  and  on 
top  some  fur  or  hair  which  the  mother  has  torn 
from  her  own  breast.  The  litter  numbers  from  four 
to  six.  So  small  is  the  hole  that  the  mother  cannot 
nestle  in  it  with  her  young,  but  she  suckles  them 
at  the  front  or  entrance,  where  she  adjusts  herself, 
lying  on  her  side,  against  the  hole.  Thus  positioned 
she  then  by  a  sort  of  wuzzling,  not  purring,  sound,  calls 
the  little  ones,  the  call  being  at  once  obeyed.  The 


THE    GRAY    RABBIT.  265 

maternal  brooding  and  fondling  which  impart  so 
miu-h  comfort  to  the  mother's  care  are  unknown  to 
our  Gray  Rabbit.  During  the  suckling  period  she 
occupies  a  slight  depression  in  the  ground  a  few 
yards  off,  from  which  the  motherly  watch  is  kept 
over  her  charge. 

I  think  she  can  give  the  alarm  to  her  little  ones, 
for  they  will  stay  well  back  in  their  nest,  and  keep 
very  quiet  in  time  of  danger,  while  the  mother  will 
endeavor  to  divert  an  enemy  from  her  form. 

But  despite  these  vigils,  something  may  happen  to 
bring  the  tenderlings  to  grief.  Should  they  escape 
preying  animals,  —  for  the  mother  is  courageous  in 
defence,  —  yet  the  sloping  nature  of  the  nest  invites 
the  rain,  and  a  storm  may  drown  the  whole  litter. 
Then  the  shallowness  of  the  nest  is  such  that  the 
plough  has  often  turned  up  all  to  perish  in  the  cold 
winds  of  March.  Should  all  go  well,  three  weeks  of 
suckling  will  suffice,  when  they  become  so  large  as  to 
crowd  each  other.  Now  the  mother  sets  them  adrift. 


Some   Model    Hares. 

As  already  hinted,  the  male  of  Lepus  sylvaticus  gives 
himself  no  concern  about  the  little  ones.  But,  lest  all 
father  hares  be  set  down  as  depraved,  I  shall  instance 
a  pretty  exception,  even  should  the  story  seem  to  some 
as  past  belief. 

In  the  months  of  May  and  June,  1860,  Professor  F.  V. 
Hayden  and  his  party  of  United  States  explorers  found 
themselves  up  in  the  Alpine  snows  of  the  Wind  River 


266  ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

mountains,  where  they  were  detained  several  days  in 
an  attempt  to  feel  their  way  to  the  Yellowstone.  On 
the  31st  of  May,  Dr.  Hayden  declared  that  a  new 
species  of  hare  was  around,  as  he  had  observed 
unusually  large  hare  tracks  in  the  snow.  As  the 
Doctor  expressed  himself  to  us:  "The  tracks  were 
very  large,  the  feet  being  wide-spread,  and  the  hair 
thick  between  the  toes,  thus  really  furnishing  the 
animal  with  snow-shoes."  In  June  one  was  captured, 
and  the  Doctor  named  the  species  Lepus  J5am?n,(Baird's 
hare,)  after  the  able  Secretary  of  the  Smithsonian  Insti- 
tution. 

The  animal  seemed  limited  to  that  small  Alpine 
territory.  But  one  specimen  was  secured,  and  no  more 
was  heard  of  this  hare  until  1872,  when  Dr.  Hayden 
and  his  party  of  scientific  explorers  were  again  in 
that  region,  at  a  time  which  gave  better  opportunity, 
as  it  was  in  the  months  of  August  and  September. 
At  this  time  five  specimens  were  obtained  by  Mr. 
C.  Hart  Merriam,  the  naturalist  to  the  Hayden  Survey. 
Four  of  these  were  adult  males,  and  they  had  all  been 
suckling  their  young,  —  an  astonishing  fact. 

"This  hare  is  doubtless  an  Alpine  form,"  says  Allen, 
"inhabiting  the  snowy  summits  of  the  high  portions 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains."  It  has  been  found  as  far 
south  as  New  Mexico.  Whether  arranged  for  the 
season  of  flowers  or  that  of  snow,  this  mountain  hare 
disports  a  gayer  outfit  than  our  little  gray  rabbit. 
In  winter  its  entire  dress  is  white;  but  in  summer 
the  pelage  generally  is  dark  plumbeous,  like  that  of 
the  house-mouse,  or  nearly  like  our  Maltese  pet. 


THE    GRAY    RABBIT. 


267 


"  The  feet  are  wholly  white."  If  not  in  exquisite 
taste,  it  certainly  is  peculiar,  —  for  white  satin  shoes 
can  hardly  look  well  on  large  splay  feet.  But  they 
don't  show  to  disadvantage  on  the  snowy  carpets  of 
its  high  Alpine  home. 

It  is  a  pity  that  as  yet  almost  nothing  has  been 
learned  of  the  female.  We  would  like  to  know  her 
ways.  Is  she  a  slattern,  and  so  imposes  on  her  kind 
mate,  who  takes  hold  of  all  the  household  affairs, 
that  things  may  not  hang  by  the  ears? 

Curiosity  is  piqued  even  to  the  desire  of  prying 
into  the  private  affairs  of  this  Baird's  hare. 

Surely  this  Whitefoot  should  be  written  up  as  the 
model  paterfamilias  of  the  Hare  family. 


CHAPTEE    XXII. 


THE  GRAY  RABBIT  —  CONCLUDED. 

Rabbit  Traits. 

HE  striking  out  of  the  hind  limbs  of  an 
adult  rabbit,  with  the  claws  distended,  has 
often  proved  more  than  a  match  for  a  cat. 
And  little  wonder  that  these  extremities,  with  their 
armament  of  sharp  nails,  should  be  quite  effective, 
when  we  recall  that  grand  out-fit  of  muscles  which 
enables  them  to  make  such  prodigious  leaps.  When 
taken  by  the  hand  the  captured  rabbit,  at  first,  in  his 
terror,  utters  a  plaintive  but  musical  cry ;  it  is  not 
properly  a  squeak ;  and  after  a  few  impotent  struggles 
he  is  dazed  into  a  passive  submission.  Thus  an  adult 
gray  rabbit  may  be  carried  lying  full  length  on  one's 
arm,  the  front  toes  being  loosely  held  between  the 
fingers,  although  he  has  been  taken  but  five  minutes 
from  the  trap.  After  a  little  show  of  resistance  he  has 
submitted  to  the  situation. 

Once  when  riding  with  my  daughter  we  came  upon 
a  gorgeous  patch  of  the  purple  lupine,  Lupinus  perennis, 
by  the  roadside.  I  stopped  to  gather  some,  when  a 
young  rabbit  sprang  out  of  the  glowing  bed  of  purple 

268 


THE  GRAY  RABBIT.  269 

bloom.  He  dashed  into  a  heap  of  brush  near  by,  which 
enabled  me  to  capture  him  without  inflicting  injury.  I 
bore  my  pretty  prize  to  the  carriage,  and  put  the 
little  captive  in  my  daughter's  lap,  where  he  lay  mak- 
ing no  resistance.  But  though  uttered  only  for  a  few 
moments,  that  plaintive  whistle  in  the  minor  key,  so 
flute-like  and  so  pitiful,  kept  piping  in  our  ears.  Our 
hearts  misgave  us.  My  daughter  pled  for  the  little 
prisoner's  release ;  that  decided  the  matter.  I  bore  him 
gently  back  to  the  bed  of  lupines,  where  he  easily  hid 
himself,  and  like  a  helpless  little  prince  was  safe  under 
the  royal  purple. 

This  almost  non-resistant  quality  of  the  gray  rabbit, 
has  given  me  a  liking  for  him.  It  is  your  pampered 
tame  one  that  excels  in  the  mulish  accomplishment  of 
kicking  at  his  master.  But  when  "striking  out"  be- 
comes a  virtue,  the  mother  gray-back  has  been  known 
to  shine.  I  will  instance  an  example  of  mulishness, 
and  one  of  heroism;  and  for  a  chronic  kicker  my 
illustration  shall  be  drawn  from  a  statement  of  Pro- 
fessor Holder,  who  regards  rabbits  and  hares  as  delight- 
ful pets,  whose  habits  and  ways  yield  a  source  of 
pleasant  study. 

"Some  years  ago  I  went  to  a  small  coral  island  in 
the  tropics,  and  as  we  expected  to  remain  five  or  six 
years,  we  took  everything  we  could  think  of  that 
would  be  needed,  and  last,  but  not  least,  a  pair  of 
fine  rabbits ;  one,  Jack,  a  full-bred  English  "  lop- 
ear,"  and  Bess,  a  demure,  soft-eyed,  straight-eared 
American,  and  it  would  be  hard  to  find  two  more 
opposite  characters.  Old  Jack  was  a  sturdy  Briton, 


270  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

indeed;  a  rabbit  in  appearance,  but  a  bull-dog  in 
nature,  and  no  watch-dog  was  required  when  he  was 
about  the  yard.  Man  or  beast,  all  were  his  enemies, 
and  nothing  ever  dismayed  him,  if  I  may  except  a 
big  hermit-crab  that  one  day  took  a  strong  hold  of 
Jack's  long  ear  and  caused  him  to  dash  about  the 
place  frantic  with  pain  and  terror." 

It  seems  that  pugnacity  was  Jack's  besetting  sin, 
that  he  was  all  the  time  "mad  as  a  March  hare," 
and  that  as  a  belligerent  there  was  "  method  in  his 
madness." 

"His  mode  of  attack  was  in  one  respect  honorable; 
that  is,  he  always  warned  people  off  before  making 
his  assault,  but  then  look  out !  The  warning  con- 
sisted of  several  loud  stamps  with  his  powerful  hind 
feet,  and  the  next  moment  the  intruder  would  see  a 
black-and-white  ball  with  flapping  ears  coming  at 
him  with  the  speed  of  the  wind.  Flight  was  the 
only  resource,  and  visitors  who  had  come  in  by  the 
gate  went  out  over  the  fence,  often  with  Jack  hang- 
ing to  the  leg  of  their  trowsers,  where  he  would 
cling  until  three  or  four  feet  from  the  ground ;  then 
drop  off,  and  stand  on  his  hind  legs  and  eye  the 
discomfited  victim  through  the  fence.  And  woe  to 
one's  clothes  if  Jack  caught  you;  for  he  always,  as 
I  can  speak  from  experience,  seized  the  trowsers  just 
at  the  ankles  with  his  teeth,  and  clinging  firmly, 
scratched  with  might  and  main  with  his  strong- 
clawed  hind  -  feet  —  a  proceeding  that  soon  rendered 
the  garment  worthless,  literally  tearing  it  in  shreds. 

"For  a  long  time,  while  quarters  were  being  built, 


THE  GRAY  RABBIT.  271 

we  kept  them  in  our  yard,  where  the  soil  was  noth- 
ing but  pure  coral  sand  mixed  with  pieces  of  broken 
shells,  and  it  was  laughable  to  watch  Jack's  attempts 
at  burrowing,  and  with  what  astonishment  they  backed 
out  of  the  holes  that  caved  in  upon  them.  They  evi- 
dently thought  it  a  poor  country  for  rabbits,  for  their 
burrows  were  complete  failures,  the  sand  falling  in 
immediately." 

The  courage  shown  in  Lop-ear's  conduct  was  funny 
in  its  sheer  impudence.  How  much  finer  both  in 
motive  and  action  was  the  following  output  of  mater- 
nal impulse!  For  real  "fancy  sparring"  only  a  deer 
could  equal  the  deft  hitting  of  that  mother  gray- 
back,  who  fought  a  huge  black  snake,  to  rescue  her 
young  one.  The  reptile  was  rapidly  bearing  it  away. 
A  little  low  cry,  though  at  quite  a  distance,  was 
heard  by  the  mother-hare,  for  the  sense  of  hearing 
is  marvelously  keen.  A  few  desperate  leaps  and  she 
had  caught  up  and  joined  issue  with  her  dreadful  foe. 
The  snake  dropped  its  prey,  its  sulphurous  eyes 
glowed  in  luminous  rage,  and  it  sprang.  But  the 
heroic  mother  leaped  into  the  air,  making  a  curve 
over  her  enemy,  and  just  at  passing  the  middle  of 
this  arc  putting  in  most  deftly  a  double  shot  be- 
hind, which  sent  the  serpent  rolling  and  squirming 
in  the  dust.  This  feat  was  several  times  repeated, 
the  snake  darting  and  snapping  wildly,  until  its 
mouth  was  filled  with  hair,  without  inflicting  any 
real  hurt  on  the  little  heroine.  The  reptile  was 
cowering  fast  and  would  fain  slink  away ;  but  the 
witness  of  this  fierce  battle  now  came  to  the  rabbit's 


272  ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

aid.     The    black    reptile    was  soon   destroyed,  and    the 
brave  mother  rabbit  left  to  her  little  one. 

But  such  hitting  implies  great  strength  in  the 
hind  limbs.  And  not  unlike  the  kangaroo,  the  hares 
are  in  this  particular  very  strong.  Dr.  Shufeldt  had 
opportunity  to  measure  the  leaps  at  their  best  of 
the  large  Mexican  hare  and  our  gray  rabbit  on  the 
prairie  when  sprinkled  with  snow.  When  at  leisure 
the  leaps  of  the  large  hare  would  be  about  four 
feet,  and  those  of  the  small  one  a  little  over  two 
feet.  But  when  impelled  by  terror,  the  Mexican 
hare  will  clear  thirteen  feet  at  a  bound,  and  our 
wood-hare  seven  feet.  But  the  strength  of  limb  to 
sustain  such  leaping  is  enormous. 

The  pine  snake  is  a  destroyer  of  rabbits,  particularly 
the  young.  The  mink  and  the  wreasel  are  especially 
feared  by  the  wild  rabbit.  In  Europe  the  ferret  is 
used  to  hunt  rabbits.  If  our  common  weasel  appears 
in  a  neighborhood,  the  rabbits  will  soon  be  exter- 
minated for  a  considerable  area. 

West  of  the  Mississippi  the  notable  enemy  of  the 
hares  is  generally  the  prairie-wolf,  or  Coyote  (pr.o- 
nounced  Ki-6-ty).  Above  all  animals  the  coyote  is 
the  enemy  of  the  jack  rabbit,  and  used  to  keep  its 
numbers  down.  But  some  years  ago  a  bounty  was 
put  on  the  coyote  in  California,  and  where  this  bounty 
was  operative  he  has  since  decreased  and  the  jack -rab- 
bit increased,  until  now  the  latter  does  great  damage 
to  vineyards  and  orchards.  It  is,  therefore,  proposed 
to  take  the  bounty  off  the  coyote  and  put  it  on  the 
jack -rabbit. 


THE  GRAY  RABBIT.  273 

It  may  be  said  here  that  there  is  an  animal  economy 
which  may  be  interfered  with  by  unwise  legislation, — 
even  to  serious  results;  for  faunal  disturbances,  when 
they  destroy  the  balance  set  by  Nature,  must  issue  in 
a  disaster,  whose  remedy  is  in  a  re-adjustment,  or  res- 
toration of  the  balance. 

In  the  winter  the  gray  rabbit  is  very  destructive 
to  young  trees,  and  is  the  dread  of  the  nursery- 
man, although  some  mischief  laid  to  him  is  fairly 
chargeable  to  the  field-mice,  which  in  winter  will  bark 
trees  both  below  and  above  the  snow  line.  The  rabbit 
will  girdle  young  trees,  and  will  not  only  bark  the  very 
small  trees  of  the  nursery,  but  will  cut  off  the  branches 
within  reach  and  eat  them.  I  have  in  mind  a  nursery- 
man who  had  not  yet  learned  this  fact,  and  would  not 
permit  a  gray  rabbit  to  be  in  any  way  molested  on  his 
premises.  The  tender-hearted  man  soon  woke  up  to 
his  mistake.  The  animals  became  emboldened  and 
took  possession,  and  very  soon  many  thousands  of 
young  trees  were  utterly  ruined.  At  last,  in  dismay, 
he  besought  the  help  of  his  neighbors,  and  a  war  of 
extermination  was  proclaimed. 

A  Rabbit  Recluse. 

A  good  many  animals  can  learn — that  is,  take  in  the 
situation.  I  have  a  farmer  friend  in  whose  hospit- 
able home  I  spend  at  least  one  day  and  night  in 
the  year.  At  each  visit  I  ask  with  honest  concern, 
"How  is  Old  Cotton  Tail?"  The  farm-house  is  on 
the  skirt  of  an  old  village.  It  has  ample  surround- 


274  ANIMAL   MEMOIRS. 

ings,  outhouses,  and  an  excellent  garden,  too,  with 
vegetables  and  pot-herbs,  a  feature  but  poorly  repre- 
sented on  some  farms. 

About  the  opening  of  winter  each  year  a  friend  from 
Philadelphia  makes  a  visit  to  the  same  good  farmer, 
under  the  expectation  of  being  specially  regaled  with 
rabbit-pie.  With  his  dog  my  friend  gets  the  game  on 
his  own  farm.  He  never  takes  a  gun,  —  he  is  so  good 
a  shot  that  a  pocket  pistol  is  sufficient.  As  he  goes 
out  and  returns  to  the  house  he  is  likely  to  pass  one 
rabbit  which  neither  he  nor  his  dog  will  disturb. 
This  is  Old  Cotton  Tail.  He  has  the  freedom  of  the 
manor — and  the  animal  seems  to  know  it  too;  for  he 
takes  in  the  full  measure  of  his  privilege,  and  does  not 
abuse  it. 

This  license  the  old  rabbit  has  enjoyed  for  several 
years.  He  knows  every  foot  of  the  farm,  and  every 
hole  or  possible  hiding-place,  not  that  he  needs  any 
such  as  against  the  farmer,  or  old  Caesar,  who  would 
not  touch  a  hair  of  his  pelt  —  but  occasionally,  a 
strange  dog  comes  on  marauding  purpose  bent,  when 
Old  Cotton  Tail  modestly  withdraws  from  society. 

With  good  weather  he  is  given  to  spurts  of  high 
spirit,  and  will  then  nose  familiarly  at  the  old  dog. 
The  house  cat  basking  in  the  sun  does  not  encourage 
his  approaches,  and  will  even  spit  out  intensified 
disgust  on  receiving  one  of  Old  Cotton  Tail's  back 
thrusts. 

I  have  said  that  this  rabbit  had  several  forms,  or 
resting-places.  He  has  a  great  liking  for  a  bed  of 
thyme  in  the  garden.  His  bodily  heat  has  so  bared 


THE  GRAY  RABBIT.  275 

a  spot  iii  the  middle,  that  it  is  really  a  fragrant 
little  evergreen  bower,  and  so  a  gem  of  a  retreat. 
But  he  lias  safer  places  under  the  barn,  and  the  hen 
house.  Between  fowl  and  beast  he  finds  in  winter  a 
generous  picking,  hence  faring  wrell  Old  Cotton  Tail  is 
always  in  prime  condition.  Appearances  indicate  that 
the  old  rabbit  has  degenerated  into  a  sort  of  barn- 
yard appurtenance,  as  one  that  has  lost  all  sentiment 
for  his  own  folks.  To  him,  " the  merry  spring-time" 
is  a  myth.  The  common  allegation,  "  mad  as  a  March 
hare,"  does  not  apply  to  him.  He  is  a  model  of  so- 
briety, —  a  confirmed  recluse  the  whole  year  round. 

This  exceptional  exclusiveness  among  the  lower 
creatures  is  an  interesting  question.  Every  effect  has 
its  cause,  and  there  are  churls  among  the  animals  as 
well  as  among  men.  There  is  the  rogue  elephant, 
the  morose  fellow  who  is  driven  from  his  herd ;  and 
such  is  true  of  the  monkeys,  —  and  even  Coati-Mondi 
can  become  an  outcast.  But  this  sort  of  exile  is  not 
voluntary.  So  we  may  never  know  why  Old  Cotton 
Tail  became  a  recluse ;  if  of  his  own  seeking,  he  was 
a  queer  fellow  surely. 

Thoreau's   Rabbits. 

All  this  is  curiously  suggestive,  for  it  brings  up  the 
past  like  a  dream.  Thoreau,  that  idolator  of  Nature, 
to  whom  the  birds  would  come,  and  even  the  snakes, 
and  the  little  beasts,  as  if  they  thought  him  their 
friend,  writes  as  follows  of  our  little  gray  rabbit:  — 

"  The  hares  were  very  familiar.     One  had  her  form 


276  ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

under  my  house  all  winter,  separated  from  me  only 
by  the  flooring,  and  she  startled  me  each  morning 
by  her  hasty  departure  when  I  began  to  stir, — 
thump,  thump,  thump,  striking  her  head  against  the 
floor  timbers  in  her  hurry.  They  used  to  come  round 
my  door  at  dark  to  nibble  the  potato  parings  which 
I  had  thrown  out,  and  were  so  nearly  the  color  of  the 
ground,  that  they  could  hardly  be  distinguished  when 
still.  Sometimes  in  the  twilight  I  alternately  lost  and 
discovered  sight  of  one  sitting  motionless  under  my 
window.  When  I  opened  my  door  in  the  evening, 
off  they  would  go  with  a  squeak  and  a  bounce. 
Near  at  hand  they  only  excited  my  pity. 

"  One  evening  one  sat  by  my  door,  two  paces  from 
me,  at  first  trembling  with  fear,  yet  unwilling  to  move; 
a  poor,  wee  thing,  lean  and  bony,  with  ragged  ears 
and  sharp  nose,  scant  tail,  and  slender  paws.  It  looked 
as  if  Nature  no  longer  contained  the  breed  of  nobler 
blood,  but  stood  on  her  last  toes.  Its  large  eyes 
appeared  young  and  unhealthy,  almost  dropsical.  I 
took  a  step,  and  lo,  away  it  scud  with  an  elastic 
spring  over  the  snow  crust,  straightening  its  body, 
and  its  limbs  into  graceful  length,  and  soon  put  the 
forest  between  me  and  itself,  —  the  wild  free  venison, 
asserting  its  vigor  and  the  dignity  of  Nature." 

The  closing  sentence  above  is  like  the  sudden  veer- 
ing of  a  contrary  wind — still  this  trick  of  rhetoric 
hardly  condones  the  heresy  that  precedes.  The  quality 
of  wisdom  is  not  strained ;  but  these  philosophical 
impressionists  become  mental  illusionists.  What  an 
eyesight  is  that  which  sees  in  a  poor  old  hare  the 


THE  GRAY   RABBIT.  277 

bankruptcy  of  Nature,  —  his  own  dear  goddess  in 
extremis,  "  standing  on  her  last  toes."  Does  not  a  well- 
worn  angel  certify  the  nobler  coin  of  the  realm?  If 
the  rhapsodist  would  see  Nature's  "  nobler  breeds," 
and  herself  standing  firm-footed  amid  her  own  beauties, 
it  would  suffice  to  leave  Walden  Pond  to  see  as  I 
have  seen,  the  merry  antics  of  little  Cotton  Tail  on 
a  carpet  of  emerald,  or  the  daisy-dotted  sward  of  a 
Monmouth  meadow. 

Rabbit  Lore. 

But  the  thought  of  one  mind  seems  to  engender 
thought  in  another;  and  this  digression  has  put  me 
in  a  thinking  vein,  though  a  fair  discussion  of  the 
personal  history  of  our  little  gray  rabbit  would  indeed 
be  delving  into  deep  doctrine. 

Could  it  be  got  at,  the  ancient  lore  touching  the 
ancestry  of  Lepus  sylvaticus,  would  be  well  worth 
telling.  Even  before  human  history  began,  though 
numerous,  the  conies  were  always  "a  feeble  folk,"  and 
fair  game  for  all  animals  carnivorously  inclined.  In 
classic  Greek  we  find  a  word  meaning  "killing  of 
hares,"  and  the  word  hare  is  also  a  synonym  for  coward. 
And  as  for  the  poor  fellow  who  was  harried  or  hen- 
pecked, their  philosopher  Posidonius  would  say,  "  He  led 
a  hare's  life."  And  this  curt  expression  doubtless  the 
gouty  old  Stoic  borrowed  as  a  bit  of  folk-lore,  or  a 
proverb  of  the  people. 

If  remoteness  of  origin  may  count  for  much,  the 
ancestry  of  the  hares  is  extremely  ancient.  I  am 


278  ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

interested  in  a  small  fossil  bone  now  lying  on  my 
table.  It  was  given  me  by  Professor  Marsh  who 
obtained  it  from  the  Dakota  Miocene.  It  is  part  of 
the  left  side  of  the  under  jaw  of  a  hare.  The  number 
is  large  of  these  fossil  or  extinct  American  hares,  for 
which  Professor  Leidy  raised  the  genus  Palseolagus, 
"the  ancient  hare."  This  jaw  is,  I  think,  that  of  a 
young  individual,  my  inference  being  drawn  from  the 
sharpness  of  the  teeth.  But  I  dare  not  conjecture 
the  immense  remoteness  of  that  period  in  which  it 
had  to  fulfill  its  mission  as  a  prolific  food  provider 
for  the  numerous  and  terrible  beasts  of  prey  then  ex- 
isting. Truly,  "leading  a  hare's  life"  then  was  a  pitiful 
role  put  upon  these  little  creatures.  And  they  are  now, 
as  we  have  seen  in  the  West,  food  for  wolves  as  well  as 
men. 

It  must  be,  I  think,  that  Palaeolagus,  the  ancient 
hare  was  large-eared,  and  clear-eyed.  His  one  chief 
endowment  was  circumspection.  Such  the  exposure  of 
the  timid  little  beast  that  when  he  went  out  to  browse, 
or  graze,  he  surely  deserved  the  possession  of  large 
gustatorial  enjoyment  to  make  amends  for  this  need 
of  incessant  watchfulness.  But  I  feel  certain  that  in 
some  way  Nature  did  compensate  him  for  so  harsh  an 
environment. 

Probably  the  life  conditions  of  the  Leporidse  or  hare 
family  have  improved  since  the  Miocene  times.  My 
fragment  has  the  five  molars  so  strongly  set,  and  yet 
so  small,  that  the  owner  surely  was  a  smaller  animal 
than  our  gray  rabbit,  himself  so  small  among  those  to 
which  he  is  germane,  as  to  merit  the  epithet  familiar 


THE  GRAY   RABBIT.  279 

to  naturalists  —  "the  little  wood  hare."  I  think  the 
ancient  could  not  achieve  the  deft  leaps  of  the  modern. 
As  I  see  him,  the  body  was  shorter  and  thicker  set, 
and  his  pug  face,  could  a  fancier  but  imagine  the 
style,  would  educe  from  him  the  fency  name,  "chunky 
chaps." 

More   Rabbit   Traits. 

As  already  seen,  the  wild  rabbit  is  very  prolific; 
hence  he  is  the  only  one  of  our  large  rodents  that  in 
any  measure  holds  his  own  against  the  onflow  of 
civilization.  And  yet  his  enemies  are  many.  Even 
the  domestic  cat  will  take  to  the  woods  and  become 
almost  a  fera,  and  subsist  largely  on  young  rabbits. 
For  man  with  dog  and  gun  the  pursuit  of  the  rabbit 
seems  to  have  a  fascination.  To  me  the  yelping 
bark  of  the  hound  when  he  has  scented  the  little 
thing  is  always  distressing.  Old  rabbit  -  hunters  claim 
that  the  three  different  kinds  of  sounds  distinguish- 
able when  different  dogs  are  baying,  denote  different 
grades  of  strain  in  the  hounds.  There  is  the  short 
snappish  yelp  of  the  hound  of  low  degree ;  the  whining, 
yet  almost  percussive  howl  which  marks  the  dog  of 
fair  and  even  good  points;  then  there  is  that  long- 
drawn,  deep-mouthed  baying  which  can  be  heard  far 
away,  and  denotes  the  hound  of  highest  strain. 

I  dislike  them  all,  but  this  specially  exaggerated 
wolfish  cry  is  to  me  indescribably  dismal.  But  judg- 
ments differ.  Doubtless  the  devotee  hears  music  in 
the  frenzy  of  the  howling  dervish.  I  once  knew  the 
father  of  a  necessitous  family.  He  kept  one  of  these 


280  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

fiendishly  accomplished  brutes.  The  man  must  have 
had  not  one  ear  but  two,  for  music,  the  one  as  a  pietist 
in  church,  the  other  as  an  enthusiast  afield;  for  he 
said  to  a  fellow  sport :  "  In  meetin'  I  have  my  favorite 
hymn;  but  the  sound  of  that  hound  when  he  has 
nosed  a  rabbit,  is  to  me  the  sweetest  music  in  the 
world!" 

I  am  so  much  pleased  with  the  sight  of  little  gray- 
back  in  the  apple  orchard  into  which  my  study 
windows  look,  that  I  feel  the  desire  to  caress  him  as 
I  do  my  pets.  With  no  dog  near  he  is  an  interesting 
object,  and  the  scene  is  innocent  and  pretty.  In  the 
confidence  of  safety,  he  squats,  snips  off  at  its  base 
a  dandelion  leaf,  then  sits  up,  and  enjoys  the  crispy 
dainty.  What  a  picture  —  ears  erect  and  wide  open ; 
and  that  nibbling  or  clipping  diminution  of  the  leaf, 
the  lips  so  acting  on  it,  as  to  make  the  dainty  seem 
to  be  creeping  like  a  living  salad  into  the  mouth. 
Then  look  at  those  soft  staring  eyes,  and  now,  that  the 
sweet  morsel  is  finished,  that  funny  winking  mug.  Is 
Bunnie  smacking  his  lips?  Whatever  the  meaning  of 
the  same,  it  is  a  "bonnie  sight." 

Note  that  habit  of  circumspection.  Poised  on  his 
hind  -  feet,  with  neck  a  little  stretched,  how  those 
lustrous  eyes  survey  the  situation,  while  the  ears  are 
set  erect  and  expanded  to  catch  the  slightest  sound. 
Ah !  he  has  heard  something,  and  off  he  goes  at  almost 
flying  speed,  bearing  that  cottony  caudal  tuft  aloft 
behind  him.  If  for  mere  display  that  white  cockade 
might  suggest  a  spice  of  vanity  in  rabbit  life.  And 
even  if  it  be  the  "white  feather,"  who  will  blame 


THE  GRAY   RABBIT.  281 

timidity  where  every  hand  is  hostile?  If  a  flag  of 
truce,  it  has  never  been  regarded.  Perhaps  this  carry- 
ing the  white  flag  when  in  full  retreat  may  have  a  sig- 
nificance of  descent,  may  be  a  survival  of  habit,  as 
signaling  to  others  some  imminence  of  danger.  De- 
pend upon  it,  that  is  what  it  means.  The  white  flag 
of  the  signal-man  declares  "all  right."  But  this  white 
tail  in  retreat  is  a  call  for  circumspection  to  every  one 
concerned. 

This  natural  suspicion  of  the  hare  generally,  when 
overcome,  is  replaced  by  an  equal  confidence.  Hence 
this  little  animal,  in  some  one  of  his  many  forms  the 
world  over,  is  met  occasionally  with  as  a  pet.  In 
his  recent  exploration  of  the  Kamschatka  River,  Dr. 
Guillemard,  the  naturalist,  describes  an  interview  with 
an  old  man  who  played  the  role  of  physician  over  a 
large  region  of  country  in  that  vast,  semi-civilized 
land.  The  explorer  was  the  first  traveler  he  had  ever 
seen,  and  the  fact  that  he  too  was  a  physican  so 
affected  the  old  man  that  he  could  hardly  forbear 
kissing  the  learned  stranger.  Great  was  his  delight 
when  the  scientist  gave  him  a  lancet,  and  he  insisted 
that  the  naturalist  should  visit  his  house,  where  he 
had  a  present  for  him  in  turn.  The  traveler's  own 
words  are: 

"On  arriving  at  the  house  I  found  his  grand- 
daughter, a  pretty  little  child  of  five  or  six  years, 
playing  with  a  young  blue  hare,  which  lolloped  up 
in  a  most  confiding  way  to  have  his  ears  scratched. 
This  was  the  present;  but  he  was  evidently  such  a  pet 
of  the  little  girl  that  it  would  have  been  a  crime 
to  have  taken  him  from  her." 


282  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

The  old  doctor  was  badly  disappointed.  What  else 
could  he  offer  the  naturalist?  He  suddenly  bethought 
that  he  had  in  his  possession  a  skull  which  a  flood 
had  washed  out  of  an  ancient  Kamschatdale  burying- 
place.  This  the  savant  accepted  joyfully.  It  was  a 
happy  interchange;  for  while  the  little  girl  was  not 
deprived  of  her  Bunnie,  the  cranium,  became  the  object 
of  grave  discussion  by  the  venerable  philosophers  of 
a  foreign  anthropological  society. 

This  "strange  eventful  history"  of  our  little  wood 
hare,  with  some  of  its  relatives,  though  it  almost 
tempts  to  an  homily,  I  must  forbear. 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 


MICE,    MUSICATi    A]STD    OTHERWISE. 

BOUT  to  give  my  recollections  of  some  mice 
endowed  with  the  musical  faculty,  the  chief 
figure  in  the  narrative  will  be  a  remarkable 
pet,  a  singing  mouse,  which  we  called  Hespie.  It  was 
a  Hesperomys,  the  name  meaning  the  Western  Mouse, 
the  genus  being  wholly  limited  to  our  Western  Con- 
tinent. The  house- mouse  is  an  intruder  from  the  Old 
World,  but  Hesperomys  is  one  of  our  meadow -mice, 
and  its  ancestors  have  possessed  the  land  from  the 
beginning.  But  this  is  concerned  with  what  the 
zoologist  calls  "faunal  distribution."  Hence  for  a  clear 
understanding  of  what  we  are  about,  a  few  words  seem 
necessary  on  the  geographical  distribution  of  animal 
life ;  or  the  local  range  of  special  forms.  Let  one  ex- 
ample suffice. 

A  very  large  family,  that  is,  one  containing  many 
species,  is  the  quadrumana,  the  four-handed  beasts  or 
monkeys.  Those  of  the  Old  World  are  called  the 
Simiadse,  sometimes  popularly,  the  Old-World  monkeys. 
Those  in  America  are  known  as  the  Cebidse,  or  New- 
World  monkeys.  And  it  is  quite  easy  to  understand 

283 


284  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

the  most  prominent  differences  upon  which  these 
distinctions  are  based. 

The  Old-World  monkeys  have  their  nostrils  so 
terminal,  and  so  near  to  each  other,  as  to  approach 
in  this  respect  a  closer  likeness  to  man  than  do  Ameri- 
can monkeys.  And  their  teeth  in  kind  and  number 
are  so  similar  to  those  of  man  as  to  impart  traits  more 
human-like  than  those  of  the  New  World.  They  have 
also  cheek-pouches,  but  none  of  them  have  prehensile 
tails.  Now  the  New- World  monkeys  have  their  nostrils 
lateral  and  sprawling;  they  have  also  more  teeth  than 
man  has;  they  have  no  cheek-pouches,  and  many  of 
them  have  prehensile  tails  of  such  service  as  to  be 
called  a  fifth  hand. 

But  does  this  law  of  distribution  affect  even  "mice 
and  such  small  deer"?  It  certainly  does.  A  very 
large  order  is  that  of  the  Rodents,  or  Gnawers,  em- 
bracing the  hares  and  rabbits,  as  we  have  seen.  It 
contains  several  well-marked  families,  and  some  six 
hundred  species.  One  of  these  families  is  known  as 
the  Muridse,  in  which  are  found  the  rats  and  mice, 
and  their  immediate  allies.  Now  it  is  interesting  to 
know  that  these  Muridse,  or  mice,  just  as  distinctly 
as  do  the  Quadrumana,  or  monkeys,  divide  naturally 
into  geographical  groups :  the  one  called  Mures  or 
Old- World  mice,  and  the  other  known  as  the  Sig~ 
madontes,  or  New- World  mice. 

And  these  distinctions,  as  with  the  monkeys,  are 
founded  on  real  differences  in  anatomical  structure. 
It  must  suffice  to  mention  the  teeth  as  perhaps  the 
most  striking.  The  Mures,  or  the  Old-World  rats  and 


MICE,  MUSICAL  AND  OTHERWISE.  285 

mice,  have  large,  broad  molars,  and  these  molar  teeth 
of  the  upper  jaw  have  each  three  tubercles.  The 
Sigmadontes,  or  New- World  rats  and  mice,  have  narrow 
molars,  and  those  in  the  upper  jaw  have  two  tubercles. 
The  word  sigmadont  means  sigma-toothed,  from  a 
marking  on  the  enamel  resembling  the  Greek  letter  2, 
signify  which  corresponds  to  our  letter  S. 

This  fact,  then,  is  now  plain:  the  rat  and  the 
mouse  which  infest  our  dwellings  are  of  stock  es- 
caped from  ships  from  the  Old  World.  The  White- 
footed  Mouse,  or  Hesperomys,  is  indigenous  to  this 
Western  World. 

It  is  now  a  good  many  years  ago  that  the  London 
Charivari,  or  "  Punch,"  shot  its  shafts  of  ridicule  at  a 
singing -mouse  on  exhibition  in  the  great  metropolis. 
It  even  got  up  a  picture  and  description  of  a  "  singing 
oyster,"  in  which  the  mollusk  sat  on  the  half-shell 
looking  weakly  comical,  as  if  intended  to  illustrate 
Sheridan's  saying,  "  An  oyster  may  be  crossed  in  love." 
The  fun  in  the  cut  was  not  exalted.  Still  it  raised 
a  laugh,  and  so  was  cutting,  and  that  was  enough  for 
the  purpose  intended. 

Thus  put  upon  the  scent,  the  popular  firm  of 
Pooh,  Pshaw,  &  Co.,  whose  merciless  power  is  alike 
feared  by  philosopher  and  peasant,  "  went  for "  the 
showman  and  his  "  phenomenon." 

Nevertheless,  I  am  bold  to  declare  my  knowledge  of 
the  existence  of  singing  mice  of  the  domestic  sort;  and 
further,  the  belief  that  they  are  not  very  uncommon. 
But  I  now  propose  to  introduce  to  my  reader  an  aristo- 
cratic candidate  for  their  consideration,  —  a  musical 
Wood  Mouse,  or  Hesperomys. 


286  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

The  Story  of  Hespie. 

It  was  in  the  spring  of  1871  that  a  friend  brought 
me  a  mouse  which  he  had  captured  in  his  winter  resi- 
dence near  St.  Augustine,  Florida.  He  told  me  that 
for  a  number  of  nights  a  low  sound  of  a  more  or  less 
musical  nature  had  been  heard  proceeding,  as  was  sup- 
posed, from  the  chimney,  and  which  very  naturally 
was  attributed  to  the  chimney  swallow.  One  clay  a 
small  mouse  came  from  under  the  hearth  into  the 
middle  of  the  floor  of  the  sitting-room,  sat  up,  and 
sang  for  about  a  minute,  and  retired.  This  explained 
the  mystery.  Its  nightly  music  and  its  daily  visit  were 
continued,  the  visit  being  almost  invariably  limited  to 
the  same  small  area  of  the  floor.  It  was  determined 
to  capture  the  strange  visitor;  which,  after  many  un- 
successful efforts,  was  finally  accomplished. 

At  last  the  interesting  little  fellow  was  very  kind- 
ly passed  into  my  custody.  My  first  concern  was  to 
add  to  its  comfort  by  enlarging  its  cage,  also  to  pro- 
vide for  it  in  every  possible  way  a  condition  of 
things  suited  to  its  nature.  For  all  this  I  was  amply 
rewarded  in  the  fine  health  and  the  musical  perform- 
ances that  followed. 

A  little  study  soon  determined  that  the  pretty  crea- 
ture was  not  a  house  mouse  at  all,  but  belonged  to 
the  Hesperomys.  This  genus  is  known  by  the  popular 
names  of  jumping  mouse,  wood  mouse,  and  the  white- 
footed  mouse.  Our  specimen  was  one  of  the  smallest 
of  its  own  genus,  for  the  precise  species  is  the  one  known 
to  naturalists  as  the  Hesperomys  cognatus  (Leconte)  being 


MICE,  MUSICAL  AND   OTHERWISE.  287 

probably  a  variety  of  the  white-footed  mouse,  Hesperomys 
leucopus.  Singers,  after  a  kind  had  been  known  among 
the  house  mice,  but  never  among  the  wood  mice. 

This  fact,  so  novel,  once  decided,  gave  additional 
zest  to  my  purpose  to  make  her  the  object  of  especial 
study.  To  give  her  individuality,  as  she  was  fast  be- 
coming a  pet,  I  named  her  Hespie;  which  name  was 
certainly  appropriate.  She  readily  learned  to  know  me, 
and  I  soon  came  to  regard  her  with  much  attachment. 
Yet,  the  truth  must  be  told,  —  she  was  a  capricious 
little  vixen.  The  unamiable  little  miss,  though  coveting 
attention,  would  permit  no  familiarity,  always  biting 
the  finger  that  attempted  to  touch  her.  Her  anima- 
tion, agility,  and  gracefulness  of  motion  were  wonderful ; 
one  might  say,  charming.  Occasionally  a  fly  would 
enter  the  cage,  when  she  would  spring  at  and  catch 
it,  sometimes  with  her  mouth,  and  at  others  with  her 
hands.  Then  she  would  eat  it  with  great  relish.  So 
uniformly  quick  were  her  motions  that  on  one  occa- 
sion my  little  boy  said :  "  Papa,  I  would  like  to  see 
mousie  walk  just  once." 

Her  taste  was  quite  omnivorous,  although,  unlike  the 
domestic  mouse,  she  did  not  care  much  for  cheese. 
But  meat,  bread,  corn,  nuts,  sugar,  and  even  pudding 
and  fish  were'  all  acceptable.  A  little  sod  of  fresh 
grass  and  white  clover  was  occasionally  put  into  the 
cage.  This  she  enjoyed  greatly,  eating  the  greens 
like  a  rabbit ;  only  always  insisting  on  sitting  up  to 
do  it. 

It  was  interesting  to  witness  how  ready  she  was  for 
emergencies.  Sitting  on  her  hind  feet,  she  would  take 


288  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

hold  with  her  hands  of  a  blade  of  grass,  and  begin 
eating  at  the  tip.  The  spear  would  rapidly  shorten, 
and  seemingly  she  must  now  stoop  to  finish  it,  or  do 
it  in  the  ordinary  quadrupedal  style.  Now  that  was 
just  what  she  did  not  choose  to  do.  So  when  the 
emergency  came,  she  would  stoop  down,  and  in  a  trice 
cut  the  blade  off  close  to  the  sod,  with  just  one  nip; 
then  up  again  on  her  feet  in  a  sitting  posture,  and 
holding  it  in  her  hands  very  prettily,  she  would  finish 
it  in  a  comfortable,  and  becoming  way. 

On  one  occasion  a  worm  crept  out  of  the  sod,  and 
Hespie  at  once  fell  to  it,  holding  the  squirming  dainty 
in  both  hands,  and  eating  away  at  one  end  until  it 
was  all  tucked  in. 

She  was  very  active  and  fond  of  play,  thus  taking 
a  great  deal  of  exercise.  This  was  mostly  at  night, 
as  unless  disturbed,  nearly  all  her  sleeping  was  by 
day.  In  truth,  it  was  at  night  that  her  peculiar 
talents  appeared  to  advantage,  beginning  always  at 
early  vespers,  when  her  genius  as  a  singer  literally 
shone.  She  was  often  in  fine  song  at  night  when  I 
was  engaged  with  my  pen. 

Hesperian    Music. 

My  little  musician  had  several  snatches  or  bits  of 
melody,  which  were  often  repeated.  But  in  her  reper- 
toire were  two  notable  ones,  each  of  which  deserves 
to  be  dignified  as  a  professional  role.  The  one  more 
remarkable  is  the  first  of  the  two  whose  notation  is 
here  given;  and  because  it  was  her  favorite,  and  was 


MICE,  MUSICAL  AND   OTHERWISE.  289 

never  sung  except  when  she  was  running  in  her  revolv- 
ing cage,  i  have  named  it  The  Wheel  Song.* 


THE    WHEEL    SONG. 


_^_0_£_0_^_^ -m-*-m  t-t-*-m-t-0-t- 

±: 


I 


The  last  bar  of  this  would  frequently  be  prolonged 
by  repetition  twice  or  even  thrice ;  and  she  would 
sometimes  change  from  C  sharp  and  D,  to  C  natural 
and  D,  after  warbling  on  these  two  notes  awhile  she 
would  wind  up  with  a  quick  chirp  on  C  sharp  and 
D.  The  distinctness  between  the  semi-tones  was  very 
marked,  and  easily  appreciable  to  a  good  ear. 

I  have  always  enjoyed  the  mellow  little  strains  of 
the  song- sparrow  and  the  house -wren.  But  in  either 
case  it  was  short,  and  apt  to  become  monotonous  from 
its  admitting  almost  no  variation.  Monotony  was  not 
rhnrgcjible  to  Hespie's  Wheel  Song.  With  unconscious 
skill  she  worked  out  of  it  a  wonderful  variety.  Instead 
of  the  first  measure  she  would  sometimes  open  with 
the  second  one,  then  follow  it  with  the  first.  Or  she 
might  start  with  the  third,  following  with  the  second, 
or  the  first,  just  as  fancy  seemed  to  dictate. 

*  The  musical  notation  was  written  by  my  son,  Ferris  C.  Lockwood. 


290  ANIMAL   MEMOIRS. 

Then  she  had  her  own  whims  as  to  the  amount 
of  repetition  of  each  bar;  that  is  to  say,  she  would 
double  or  even  triplicate  a  measure  when  the  notion 
took  her.  In  this  regard  time  Avas  ignored.  Indeed, 
whatever  may  have  been  the  Hesperomys'  canon  of 
musical  procedure  or  propriety,  I  could  not  but  regard 
it  as  arbitrary,  and  beyond  my  comprehension.  Still 
it  must  be  admitted  that  this  little  performer  possessed 
precision,  delicacy,  and  scope  of  execution,  besides  her 
"  infinite  variety." 

She  had  another  role,  the  notation  of  which  was 
simpler  than  that  of  the  Wheel  Song,  yet  I  think  for 
her  its  execution  was  more  difficult.  It  is  certain  that 
she  was  far  more  chary  of  its  performance ;  and  to 
me  its  effects  seemed  more  impressive.  I  have  for  this 
reason,  as  well  as  its  less  frequency  distinguished  it  as 
Tire  Grand  Rdle. 


-i-i- 


This  was  seldom  given,  yet  quite  often  enough  to 
allow  it  to  be  written  down.  The  second  measure 
would  be  sung  quite  fast,  and  with  no  loss  of  musical 
timbre,  sounding  almost  like  the  pecking  of  a  wood- 
pecker on  the  tree;  and  at  other  times  it  would  be 


MICE,  MUSICAL  AND   OTHERWISE.  291 

slow  like  the  dropping  of  water.  Although  she  had 
no  ear  for  time,  yet  she  would  keep  to  the  key  of 
B  (two  flats),  and  strictly  in  a  major  key. 

This  fact  I  considered  interesting,  as  Wood  declares 
his  belief,  "that  the  untaught  cries  of  all  the  lower 
animals,  whether  quadrupeds  or  birds,  are  in  the  minor 
key."  Herein  theory  must  yield  to  observation.  If  I 
might  venture  an  opinion,  it  would  be  that  the  music 
of  the  really  musical  wild  animals  is  oftener  on  a 
major  key ;  while  the  minor  key  characterizes  savage 
man. 

A  remarkable  fact  in  the  above  role  is  the  scope 
of  little  Hespie's  musical  powers.  Her  soft,  clear  voice 
falls  an  octave  with  all  the  precision  possible;  then 
at  the  wind-up,  it  rises  again  into  a  very  quick  trill 
on  C  sharp  and  D. 

Hespie's   Grand    Opera. 

Though  it  be  at  the  risk  of  taxing  belief,  yet  I  must 
for  her  sake  record  one  of  Hespie's  remarkable  per- 
formances. She  was  gamboling  in  the  large  'compart- 
ment of  her  cage,  in  a  mood  indicating  intense  animal 
enjoyment,  having  awakened  from  a  long  sleep, 
and  partaken  of  some  favorite  food.  She  burst  into 
a  fullness  of  song  very  rich  in  its  variety.  While 
running  and  jumping,  she  warbled  off  what  I  have 
called  her  Grand  Role,  then  sitting,  she  went  over 
it  again,  ringing  out  the  strangest  diversity  of 
changes,  by  an  almost  whimsical  transposition  of  the 
bars;  a  very  rhapsodist  of  art.  Then  without  for  an 


292  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

instant  stopping  the  music,  she  leapt  into  the  wheel, 
started  it  revolving  at  its  highest  speed,  and  went 
through  the  Wheel  Song  in  exquisite  style,  giving 
several  repetitions  of  it.  After  this  she  returned  to 
the  large  compartment,  took  up  again  the  Grand 
Role,  and  put  into  it  some  variations  of  execution 
which  astonished  me.  One  measure  I  remember  was 
so  limpid,  silvery,  and  soft  that  I  said  to  a  lady  who 
was  listening,  "A  canary  able  to  execute  that  would  be 
worth  a  hundred  dollars." 

I  occasionally  detected  what  I  am  utterly  unable 
to  explain,  a  literal  dual  sound,  very  like  a  boy 
whistling  as  he  draws  a  stick  along  the  pickets  of 
a  fence.  So  the  music  went  on,  as  I  listened,  watch 
in  hand,  until  actually  nine  minutes  had  elapsed.  Now 
the  wonderful  fact  is  that  the  rest  between  the  roles 
was  never  more  than  for  a  second  of  time;  and 
during  all  this  singing  the  muscles  could  be  seen  in 
vigorous  action  through  the  entire  length  of  the 
abdomen.  This  feat  would  be  impossible  to  a  pro- 
fessional singer;  and  the  nearest  to  it  that  I  have 
heard  was  the  singing  of  a  wild  mocking-bird  in  a 
grove. 

For  several  days  the  wheel,  for  want  of  lubricating, 
grated  on  its  axle.  This  afforded  Hespie  great  delight; 
and  her  own  little  warble,  always  low-voiced,  and  soft, 
was  completely  lost  in  the  louder  and  harsher  sound. 
It  was  pretty  much  as  it  is  with  some  of  the  modern 
methods  of  praise;  as  when  the  singing  is  subordinated 
to  the  instrumental,  a  mere  murmur  of  vocal  song,  on 
which  the  organist  comes  down  as  with  the  sound 


MICE,   MUSICAL  AND  OTHERWISE.  293 

of  drowning  waters.  A  drop  of  oil,  and  the  noise  of 
the  friction  stopped.  This  quite  excited  her  temper; 
and  she  bit  the  wires  of  her  wheel  most  viciously.  I 
have  noticed  the  same  with  pet  squirrels.  How  like  all 
this  is  to  the  delight  of  a  child  with  the  creaking  of 
his  hobby-horse,  or  the  nurse's  rocking-chair. 

A  little  device  was  hit  upon  which  at  once  put 
Hespie  in  good  humor  again.  A  strip  of  stout  writ- 
ing paper,  a  half  inch  wide,  was  pinned  down  in 
such  a  way  that  its  clean  cut  upper  edge  pressed 
against  the  wires  of  the  wheel,  making  with  its  revo- 
lution a  pleasant,  purring  sound.  It  was  on  the 
principle,  exactly,  of  the  old-time  watchman's  rattle, 
and  the  toy  formerly  known  as  a  cricket.  This  for 
a  while  greatly  delighted  the  capricious  creature,  and 
she  made  the  wheel  almost  fly;  at  the  same  time, 
in  unison  with  the  whirr  of  the  wheel,  was  her  own 
soft,  cheery  warble.  It  was  very  low,  yet  very  dis- 
tinct. I  remember  once  on  a  larger  scale  witnessing 
an  analogous  sight,  when,  unseen,  I  entered  a  room 
in  which  was  a  woman  spinning  wool,  and  singing 
at  the  top  of  her  voice,  in  keeping  with  the  loud 
whirring  of  her  spinning  -  wheel.  For  quite  a  while 
she  was  unconscious  of  my  presence,  so  absorbed  was 
she  in  the  noise  she  was  making. 

Without  her  wheel  the  life  of  little  Hespie  would 
have  been  rather  monotonous.  Expecting  to  see  some 
antics  in  the  slipping  line,  the  trick  was  tried  of  cov- 
ering a  part  of  the  inside  of  the  wheel  with  smooth, 
sized  paper.  Mousie  entered  and  started  the  wheel,  and 
in  the  deftest  way  jumped  the  smooth  paper  floor  at 


294  ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

every  revolution,  actually  keeping  the  propulsion  up 
with  but  a  slight  diminution  of  the  usual  speed.  This 
was  certainly  a  very  pretty  feat.  We  next  shut  her  out 
of  the  wheel  by  corking  up  the  entrance.  She  worked 
desperately  at  the  closed  aperture;  then  in  despair  gave 
vent  to  a  piercing  little  cry.  It  was  surprising  what  a 
strange  pleasure  this  sound  afforded  me;  it  showed  so 
clearly  the  difference  in  the  timbre  or  quality  of  this 
sound  of  distress  from  that  which  I  have  called  her 
singing.  She  was  a  good  deal  excited,  and  ran  frantic- 
ally into  and  out  of  her  little  bed-box,  which  had  a 
hole  at  each  end.  Soon  this  tiny  gust  of  rage  passed 
over. 

She  now,  although  running  about  her  cage,  indulg- 
ing in  little  gambols,  indicating  exquisite  grace  and 
agility,  struck  off  into  a  truly  beautiful  strain  of  song. 
It  occupied  about  three  minutes,  and  had  in  it  con- 
siderable scope  and  variety.  First  there  was  a  clearly 
enunciated  expression  like  that  of  the  cooing  of  a  tur- 
tle-dove, a  soft  note,  with  a  deliberate  slowness.  This 
changed  into  a  series  of  more  rapid  notes  strangely 
suggesting,  though  not  so  weird-like,  the  conchy  clamor 
of  the  American  cuckoo  (Coccyzus),  then  closing  with  a 
series  of  short,  rapid  sounds,  like  the  tapping  of  the 
woodpecker  on  a  tree. 

A  very  noticeable  fact  was  that  a  great  deal  of  this 
little  creature's  song  was  poured  forth  while  at  play- 
that  is,  while  in  actual  activity;  and,  take  the  wheel- 
play,  for  instance,  when  really  in  quite  violent  exercise. 
A  fact  too,  which  much  surprised  me  was,  that  often 
when  eating  she  sang  and  ate  at  the  same  time, 


MICE,  MUSICAL  AND  OTHERWISE.  295 

literally  in  the-  same  breath.  This  singular  habit,  so 
suggestive  of  a  great  physiological  difficulty,  led  to 
an  incident  which  caused  considerable  merriment  for 
all  of  us  who  witnessed  it. 

I  had  been  examining  some  insect  larvse  on  a 
twig  of  black  alder.  Without  any  real  motive,  a  bit 
of  .the  twig,  about  an  inch  long,  and  an  eighth  of 
an  inch  thick,  was  offered  to  Hespie.  She  was  de- 
lighted, and  at  once  began  in  her  usual  pretty  way, 
sitting  up,  to  eat  the  bark,  although  it  was  very  bitter. 
Thus  she  sat  "  bolt  upright ; "  and  held  this  little  black 
stick  in  both  hands  up  to  her  mouth,  at  the  precise 
angle  in  which  a  fife  is  held,  although  nibbling  away, 
yet  singing  at  the  same  time,  so  that  she  looked  like 
a  little  fifer  playing  on  an  ebony  fife,  and  laughter  at 
the  pretty  but  comical  sight  was  irresistible. 

Conduct  with   Strangers. 

Wishing  to  see  how  this  Hesperomys  would  behave 
in  company  with  another  species,  I  put  into  her  cage 
a  young  domestic  mouse  about  one-third  grown.  She 
was  asleep  in  her  bed-box.  When  she  awoke  it  was  a 
pretty  sight.  What  animation !  How  the  black  eyes 
started  and  sparkled !  They  seemed  to  snap  with  fire. 
The  whole  frame  was  in  a  quiver  —  first  of  astonish- 
ment, then  with  rage.  It  was  not  a  run,  —  but  a  jump 
or  spring  which  she  made  at  the  involuntary  intruder, 
inflicting  a  bite  that  made  it  squeal  in  terror.  I 
removed  the  little  captive,  who  was  so  astonished  that 
it  was  quite  content  to  lie  in  my  hand.  Its  terror  won 


296  ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

our  pity,  and  we  restored  it  to  liberty.  I  had  a  friend 
who  had  once  a  singing  domestic  mouse,  of  very 
moderate  musical  ability,  however.  But  one  day  he 
captured  two  specimens  of  the  white-footed  mouse 
(Hesperomys  leucopus),  and  supposing  it  would  be  good 
company,  put  them  into  the  cage.  Great  mistake  it 
was.  The  two  white-footed  barbarians  abused  the  ^hos- 
pitality, and  murdered  poor  Mus  musculus,  despite  its 
accomplishments. 

It  was  only  necessar}^  to  avoid  crossing  her  sweet 
will,  and  Hespie  was  an  engaging  plaything  for  my 
children.  Using  a  term  of  the  watermen,  they  had 
one  play  which  they  called  "hauling  in  the  lines," 
in  which  they  used  the  terms  "hauling  in,"  and 
"paying  out."  Simple  as  it  was,  Hespie  seemed 
never  to  tire  of  it.  It  consisted  merely  in  slowly 
feeding  to  the  little  thing  the  end  of  a  long  cotton 
cord.  She  would  sit  up  on  her  hind  -  legs,  and  with 
her  front  paws,  hand-over-hand,  almost  sailor-like, 
take  in  the  cord,  which  the  children  would  slowly 
draw  out  again  to  see  her  again  "haul  it  in." 

Animals  have  their  bed-nests,  retiring  places  to 
which  they  cling  with  tenacity,  and  to  be  deprived 
of  which  begets  a  moping  akin  to  homesickness. 
Strange  to  say,  Hespie  had  periodical  nostalgia,  and 
it  came  about  in  this  way.  The  cage  was  regularly 
cleaned.  This  at  all  times  was  annoying  to  her. 
The  little  bed  of  cotton  wool,  in  a  small  box  in 
her  large  compartment,  was  taken  out  and  burned, 
and  a  fresh  one  supplied. 

This  was   done   once    a   month,  and   invariably   this 


MICE,  MUSICAL  AND  OTHERWISE.  297 

change  of  bed  was  followed  by  a  day  or  two  of 
homesickness.  She  was  unhappy,  —  did  not  like  the 
situation,  would  tear  her  bed  up,  pull  it  out,  then  pull 
it  in,  in  part,  —  then,  as  if  in  disgust,  go  off  and  lie 
down  outside  the  bed-nest,  an  unpleasant  thing  for 
her,  as  she  did  not  like  to  sleep  outside  the  privacy 
of  her  little  box.  In  a  word,  she  would  be  really 
sick,  and  refuse  food.  After  two  days,  she  would 
become  reconciled,  and,  forgetting  her  troubles,  be  as 
merry  as  ever. 

Nature  of  Hespie's  Music. 

And  now  is  it  not  time  to  ask,  how  much  truth 
there  is  in  the  theory  of  some  that  the  singing  of 
these  mice  is  the  result  of  disease,  or  some  bronchial 
disturbance?  In  my  opinion  the  following  reasons 
disprove  the  truth  of  any  such  theory :  — 

1.  The     exquisite     animal     enjoyment,     and     actual 
physical  condition  maintained ;  for  she  was  fat,  and  per- 
fect in  pelage  and  form,  indicating  high  health.    Every 
form  of  bronchial  disease  is  in  its  most  ordinary  effect 
depressing  to  the  animal  spirits. 

2.  When    engaged    in    song    the    muscular    exercise 
reached    to  the  very   depths    of  the    chest,   as  is  seen 
in    the    lowing   of    kine,   where    the    muscles    may   be 
observed   in  action   for  the  entire   length  of  the  abdo- 
men.    Persons    afflicted    bronchially   avoid    deep   vocal 
exercises. 

3.  The  singing  was  so  often  performed  under  precise- 
ly those   circumstances  in   which  bronchially   diseased 


298  ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

persons  are  sure  to  keep  still,  if  possible.  For  instance, 
take  the  Wheel  Song.  Here,  although  the  exercise  was 
violent,  the  song  would  be  sustained  all  through  with 
no  diminution  of  vocal  strength,  and  quite  frequently 
was  it  the  case  that  when  the  animal  stopped  turning 
the  wheel,  though  she  continued  the  song,  the  momen- 
tum would  throw  her  on  her  back,  when,  as  if  in  sur- 
prise, she  would  roll  off  four  or  five  notes  on  a  higher 
octave,  and  in  a  greatly  increased  loudness  of  voice. 

4.  Our  Hesperomys  delighted  in  a  role,  the  perform- 
ance of  which  argued  these  three  facts:  —  A  high 
organization  of  the  mechanism  of  the  voice;  delicate 
and  skillful  adjustment  during  use ;  a  perfect  condition 
as  respects  health.  She  could  sing  and  eat  at  the  same 
time.  When  a  boy  I  was  fond  of  whistling,  usually 
selecting  some  ballad  tune;  and  it  was  with  perfect 
ease  that  the  strain  was  continued  through  an  entire 
stanza,  without  any  break  for  the  sake  of  getting 
breath ;  for  ere  the  expiring  air  had  become  exhausted 
I  inverted  the  process,  thus  continuing  the  strain  with 
the  inspiring  air  as  it  came  through  the  orifice  formed 
by  the  lips.  I  also  remember  that  it  was  said  of 
Jenny  Lind  that  she  could  use  the  inspiring  breath 
in  singing,  though  I  cannot  vouch  for  the  truth  of  the 
statement. 

Now  this  fact,  in  the  case  of  our  Hesperomys,  that 
she  could  eat  and  sing  at  the  same  time,  —  even  admit- 
ting, what  is  probably  true,  that  there  are  intervals  of  a 
very  short  duration  (so  short  as  to  be  almost  indiscern- 
ible) when  the  epiglottis  closes  to  allow  the  food  to 
pass  down  the  gullet,  —  demonstrates,  so  I  think,  that 


MICE,  MUSICAL  AND   OTHERWISE.  299 

the  mechanism  of  those  parts  was  very  delicate,  and 
that  the  whole  organism  was  in  the  very  highest 
condition  of  health.  I  say  nothing  about  that  dual 
vocalization  other  than  that  I  think  it  points  in  the 
same  direction. 

It  was  an  elevated  sentiment  of  an  old  writer  who 
ascribed  this  ability  for  pleasant  sounds  to  the  gift  of  a 
benign  Omnipotence,  Who  thus  empowers  animals  to 
make  known  to  others  their  wants,  their  pains,  their 
sorrows  in  melancholic  tones  —  their  joys  and  pleasures 
in  more  harmonious  notes.  Who  less  than  the  wise 
and  indulgent  Creator  could  form  such  an  economy 
as  that  of  melody  and  music,  —  the  harmonious  pulses 
of  every  animal  voice  and  every  musical  pipe?  And 
such  the  curious  structure,  and  ingenious  lodgment 
of  the  auditory  nerves,  that  by  this  pleasantry  of  sound 
the  perturbations  of  the  mind  are  quieted  and  stilled. 
And  music  affects  the  fancy  with  delight  as  well  as 
appeases  the  turbulent  passions  of  the  breast.  And 
descending  from  the  great  to  the  small,  I  am  sure 
that  Hespie  found  much  happiness,  —  an  almost  human 
joy,  —  when  tuning  her  little  pipes. 

Before  giving  the  close  of  Hespie's  career,  I  prefer 
to  say  something  on  the  vocal  ability  of  certain  allied 
animals. 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 


HESPIE'S   MUSICAL    COUSINS. 

NE  must  not  run  into  the  vice  of  generalizing 
on  too  scanty  a  stock  of  facts.  Yet  I  have 
seen  enough  to  make  me  disposed  to  think 
that  as  an  order,  the  rodents  possess  a  large  amount 
of  undeveloped  ability  for  musical  utterance.  Few  of 
us  are  aware  to  what  extent  among  the  domestic  mice 
singers  abound.  I  have  had  them,  though  their  vocal 
abilities  have  been  quite  limited. 

The  white  mouse  is  simply  an  albino  of  the  house 
mouse.  Some  one  in  Maryland  was  so  desirous  to 
obtain  a  singer  of  this  variety  that  he  raised  several 
hundred  white  mice.  His  perseverance  was  finally 
rewarded  in  part.  He  obtained  a  singer,  but  of  very 
moderate  ability,  for  it  sang  but  a  few  times  in  its 
record  of  six  months. 

Singing  rats  also  have  been  observed.  We  have  now 
the  Hesperomys,  thus  affording  three  well  marked 
singing  genera  of  the  Muridse,  or  mouse  family. 

Of  the   SciuridaB,   or   squirrels,   I   can   only   speak   of 

three  genera  with  certain  knowledge  —  the  gray  squirrel, 

the  chipmunk,  and   the   flying   squirrel.     All   these   are 

capable  of   musical    sounds,    though    I    have    not    yet 

300 


HESPIK'S    MUSICAL    COUSINS.  301 

found  any  with  the  capacity  sufficiently  advanced  to 
bo  worthy  to  be  called  singers. 

And  there  is  also  the  occasional  whistling  of  the 
woodchuck  in  its  burrow,  the  notes  though  monotonous 
being  rather  sweet,  especially  of  the  young.  In  the 
Northwest  occurs  the  largest  of  the  species,  known 
as  the  Hoary  Marmot,  and  oftener  as  the  Whistling 
Woodchuck. 

And  this  recalls  a  pretty  incident  related  by  a 
gentleman.  It  happened  when  he  and  his  brother  wrere 
small  boys  on  a  farm.  They  had  found  a  litter  of 
woodchucks,  or  marmots,  and  took  two  of  the  little 
things  home,  getting  there  at  dinner-time.  The  mother, 
a  good  thrifty  housekeeper,  ordered  him  to  take  the 
''vermin"  out  of  the  house.  The  little  boy  was  about 
to  obey,  although  sorrowfully,  when  he  pleaded  for 
some  milk  for  the  poor  things.  This  was  the  aus- 
picious moment;  and  one  of  the  little  captives  set  up 
a  pretty  whistling  song.  It  was  enough !  The  good 
woman's  motherly  heart  was  touched.  The  boys  sat 
at  the  table,  and  shared  their  milk  with  their  pets. 
But  the  career  of  the  musical  prodigy  was  brief,  —  the 
two  marmots  soon  died. 

I  have  already  mentioned  that  one  summer  I  caught 
a  young  rabbit  in  a  patch  of  wild  lupines,  and  was 
struck  with  the  silvery  musical  ring  of  its  cry  when 
my  hand  touched  it.  And  the  rabbit,  like  the  wood- 
chuck,  is  also  a  rodent. 

I  was  once  dining  at  a  farm-house  in  the  time  of 
the  singing  of  birds,  when  my  ear  took  in  what  I 
recognized  as  the  sound  of  rodent  music.  The  farmer's 


302  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

wife  said  that  their  son,  an  active  lad  kept  guinea 
pigs,  and  she  had  heard  those  sounds  several  times, 
and  they  were  made  by  the  wrens,  which  came  to  eat 
of  their  food. 

As  I  had  never  known  the  house  wren  to  be  other 
than  insectiverous,  I  did  not  accept  the  lady's  supposi- 
tion, but  asked  her .  to  go  with  me  to  the  pen  of  guinea 
pigs.  She  admitted  she  had  never  seen  the  bird  that 
did  the  singing.  I  soon  found  that  the  melody  came 
from  a  mother  guinea-pig;  and  it  seemed  as  if  she 
was  talking,  or  lullaby  ing  to  her  young.  As  might 
be  expected  the  good  woman  was  quite  astonished. 

It  is  seen,  then,  that  here  are  enumerated  five  genera 
and  nine  species  of  these  animals  with  musical  powers 
to  a  greater  or  less  extent,  and  they  are  all  rodents. 

It  is  worth  asking  how  far  man's  training  or  cult- 
ure could  develop  and  improve  this  potentiality  or 
latent  power  in  the  rodents  to  sing.  I  have  known 
Hespie  to  be  incited  unto  song  by  hearing  the  piano, 
especially  if  the  playing  was  in  the  natural  key.  My 
friend,  who  caught  her,  was  firm  in  the  belief  that  on 
one  occasion  she  made,  not  without  some  success,  an 
effort  to  imitate  the  canary.  If  this  is  a  fact,  it  would 
of  itself  prove  much  in  the  direction  of  these  remarks. 

I  recall  a  little  matter  which  at  the  time  afforded 
myself  and  my  class,  to  whom  I  was  lecturing,  consid- 
erable interest.  One  of  the  students  brought  me  in  a 
tin  preserve -can  a  very  fine  Hesperomys  leucopus  (white- 
footed  mouse).  The  can  was  put  on  my  laboratory 
table.  At  a  point  in  the  lecture  a  pretty  sound 
proceeded  from  the  captive.  It  was  a  silvery  purring, 


HESPIE'S    MUSICAL    COUSINS.  303 

differing  from  that  of  a  cat,  in  that  the  timbre  was 
metallic.  So  short  the  notes,  so  quick  and  close,  that 
as  said,  it  was  like  a  purring.  I  was  surprised  to  find 
that  the  little  thing  made  the  sound  by  tapping  the 
tips  of  the  toes  of  one  foot  on  the  side  of  the  can. 
But  then  such  tapping!  How  dainty  the  touch  and 
rapid  the  movement.  It  was  really  instrumental  music. 
And  what  the  motive?  Was  it  amusement?  Who  can 
tell?  Though  this  was  fully  ten  years  ago  the  incident 
is  very  fresh  in  my  mind. 

And  this  recalls  a  passage  in  an  old  number  of  the 
American  Naturalist,  J.  M.  Mulligan  describes  a  pair 
of  pet  prairie  -  mice,  which  had  been  taken  out  of  a 
nest  in  a  hollow  tree.  He  says  their  motions  were 
remarkably  quick.  When  performing  their  ablutions 
their  comical  appearance  invariably  excited  laughter. 
One  little  paw  would  be  moistened  and  drawn  over 
the  ears  and  face  so  rapidly  that  it  required  sharp 
eyes  to  follow  the  motion,  the  other  paw  alternating 
till  a  satisfactory  state  of  cleanliness  was  obtained. 
As  a  final  touch  to  the  toilet,  the  long  slender  tail  was 
switched  through  the  mouth  from  base  to  tip  with 
lightning  speed. 

He  says  further:  "I  observed  once  a  habit  in  our 
prairie -mice  that  I  do  not  remember  to  have  seen  no- 
ticed before  in  any  of  the  Muridas.  When  frightened 
they  would  make  a  clear,  quick,  rattling  noise,  by 
alternately  lifting  their  fore  feet  and  vibrating  them 
against  whatever  they  were  resting  on.  Occasionally 
a  loosely  folded  paper  was  laid  on  the  table  for  the 
mice  to  hide  in.  They  sprang  their  rattle  much  more 


304  ANIMAL   MEMOIRS. 

frequently  when  on  the  paper  than  when  hiding  be- 
hind books  on  the  table,  probably  because  they  found 
the  paper  a  better  medium  of  sound  than  the  solid 
table  with  its  cloth  cover.  In  a  hollow  log  or  stump 
this  noise  probably  proves  an  effectual  means  of  com- 
municating alarm  to  each  other.  After  keeping  our 
pets  three  months  they  escaped  —  we  never  knew  how." 

Now  to  return  to  Hespie.  My  attachment  to  the 
little  thing  at  last  took  the  form  of  companionship. 
Often  my  work  was  carried  far  into  the  night  when 
all  my  family  were  asleep.  It  had  been  for  awhile 
necessary  for  me  to  have  my  bed  in  the  study;  thus 
I  could  have  things  my  own  way,  and  not  disturb 
others.  The  pen  laid  down,  I  would  go  to  bed  and 
too  often  with  insomnia  upon  me.  Then,  more  than 
once  it  occurred  that  Hespie's  soft  warbling  in  the  dark 
lured  coy. slumber;  for  I  have  fallen  asleep  listening 
to  the  lullaby  of  my  little  quadrupedal  bobolink. 

I  must  offset  the  above  with  a  little  experience 
given  in  the  Standard  Natural  History  by  Dr.  Coues. 
He  is  speaking  of  the  Mus  Musculus,  the  House  Mouse: 
"There  is  only  one  capacity  of  this  little  creature 
to  which  I  need  allude,  and  that  is  its  singing,  —  a 
musical  faculty  which  all  have  heard  of,  but  probably 
few  have  heard,  leaving  many  to  doubt.  A  mouse 
which  I  had  once  presented  to  me  was  a  great  singer. 
Placing  the  cage  in  my  bed-room,  I  turned  off  the  gas 
and  retired,  to  give  it  every  encouragement  to  proceed 
with  the  expected  programme  in  quiet  and  darkness, 
but  with  grave  doubts  that  it  would  favor  me  with 
a  song.  In  a  few  moments,  however,  the  little  rnusi- 


HESPIE'S    MUSICAL    COUSINS.  305 

cian  piped  up,  and  sang  very  prettily;  it  was  not 
squeaking,  but  singing,  musically  and  rhythmically, 
in  a  high  key,  with  a  thin  and  wiry,  but  not  displeas- 
ing quality,  something  like  a  weak-voiced  canary-bird. 

"Listening  for  some  time  till  I  grew  sleepy,  I  placed 
this  eccentric  prima  donna  in  an  adjoining  room,  at 
least  twenty  feet  from  my  bed,  the  door  open  between; 
but  even  at  that  distance  the  singing  was  loud  enough 
to  disturb  me,  and  I  had  to  carry  the  little  creature 
down  stairs  before  I  could  get  to  sleep." 

In  this  connection  I  think  the  following  letter  from 
an  English  traveler  to  Nature  is  too  interesting  to  be 
omitted :  — 

Last  winter  we  occupied  the  rooms  we  now  do  at  Men  ton. 
Early  in  February  we  heard  as  we  thought  the  song  of  a  canary, 
and  fancied  it  was  outside  our  balcony;  however  we  soon  dis- 
covered that  the  singing  was  in  our  salon,  and  that  the  songster 
was  a  mouse.  At  that  time  the  weather  was  rather  cold,  and 
we  had  a  little  fire,  and  the  mouse  spent  most  of  the  day  under 
the  fender,  where  we  kept  it  supplied  with  bits  of  biscuit.  In 
a  few  days  it  became  quite  tame,  and  would  come  on  the 
hearth  in  an  evening,  and  sing  for  several  hours.  Sometimes 
it  would  climb  up  the  chiffonier  and  ascend  a  vase  of  flowers 
to  drink  at  the  water,  and  then  sit  and  sing  on  the  edge  of  the 
table,  and  allow  us  to  go  quite  near  to  it  without  ceasing  its 
warble.  One  of  its  favorite  haunts  was  the  wood-basket,  and 
it  would  often  sit  and  sing  on  the  edge  of  it.  On  February 
12,  the  last  night  of  the  Carnival,  we  had  a  number  of  friends 
in  our  salon,  and  the  little  mouse  sang  most  vigorously  much 
to  their  delight  and  astonishment,  and  was  not  in  the  least 
disturbed  by  the  talking.  In  the  evening  the  mouse  would 
often  run  about  the  room,  and  under  the  door  into  the  corridor 
and  adjoining  rooms,  and  then  return  to  its  own  hearth.  After 
amusing  us  for  nearly  a  month,  it  disappeared,  and  we  suspect 
it  was  caught  in  a  trap  set  in  one  of  the  rooms  beyond. 


306  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

The  mouse  was  small  and  had  very  large  ears,  which  it 
moved  about  much  whilst  singing.  The  song  was  not  unlike 
that  of  the  canary  in  many  of  its  trills  ;  and  it  sang  quite  as 
beautifully  as  any  canary,  but  it  had  more  variety,  and  some  of 
its  notes  were  much  lower,  more  like  those  of  the  bullfinch. 
One  great  peculiarity  was  a  sort  of  double  song,  which  we 
had  now  and  then,  —  an  air  with  an  accompaniment.  The 
air  was  loud  and  full,  the  notes  being  low,  and  the  accom- 
paniment quite  subdued. 

Some  of  our  party  were  sure  there  was  more  than  one 
mouse,  until  we  had  the  performance  from  the  edge  of  the 
wood-basket,  and  were  within  a  yard  or  two  of  it.  My  son 
has  suggested  that  many  or  all  mice  may  have  the  same 
power,  but  that  the  notes  are  usually  so  much  higher  in  the 
scale  that,  like  the  cry  of  the  dormouse,  and  the  bat,  they 
are  at  the  verge  of  the  pitch  to  which  the  human  ear  is 
sensitive.  This  may  be  so ;  but  the  notes  of  our  mouse  were 
so  low,  and  even  the  highest,  so  far  within  the  limits  of  the 
human  ear,  that  I  am  inclined  to  think  the  gift  of  singing 
in  mice  is  but  of  very  rare  occurence. 

J.  S. 
H6tel-de-Menton,  Menton,  France,  Oct.  31,  1877. 

Of  the  several  accounts  of  singing  mice  that  have 
come  to  my  notice,  the  above  is  the  most  interesting. 
This  mouse  at  Menton  was  surely  a  remarkable  musi- 
cian. Still  I  think  my  little  Hesperomys  was  unap- 
proachable. 

Said  an  amiable  lady :  "I  am  done  with  pets ;  it 
is  so  hard  to  lose  them."  It  is  even  so  —  the  same 
end  cometh  to  all.  And  for  Hespie  this  was  drawing 
near.  Already  the  witchery  of  the  little  songstress  was 
gone.  Her  little  melodies  were  becoming  snatchy,  and 
broken,  and  less  silvery,  and  the  intervals  of  silence 
were  getting  prolonged.  Then  the  singing  entirely 


HESPIE'S    MUSICAL    COUSINS.  307 

ceased.  Nor  was  there  any  more  whirring  of  the 
wheel,  for  all  her  merry  gambols  had  stopped.  Hes- 
pie  was  sick,  —  that  malady  unpreventable  and  in- 
curable had  set  in,  nature's  decay.  There  came  a 
dragging  of  those  hind  limbs,  erst  so  agile.  Now  too, 
for  it  followed  close,  I  noticed  that  the  naive  cunning 
of  the  little  hands  had  gone  —  there  was  an  uncer- 
tainty, an  unsteadiness,  their  deftness  was  over.  It 
was  now  too  plain  that  a  general  paralysis  had  set  in. 

And  now  it  happened  to  poor  Hespie,  as  it  hath 
to  wiser  folks,  —  with  affliction  came  a  certain  sober- 
ness of  conduct  eschewed  in  prosperity.  The  capricious 
vixen  had  become  transformed  into  a  little  sufferer 
seeking  my  attention  and  caressing.  It  was  the  night 
before  Easter,  and  insomnia  had  stolen  the  hours.  I 
heard  a  little  sound  in  Hespie's  cage.  It  was  a 
movement  indicating  distress;  —  for  the  musician  now 
was  dumb.  The  night  was  cold.  I  arose  and  took 
the  poor  thing  into  my  hand,  and  then  returned  to 
my  warm  bed.  The  hours  passed,  and  the  Sabbath 
dawn  had  come.  There  had,  I  fancied,  been  a  little 
sound,  —  a  muffled  trill.  It  was  the  last  spark  of  the 
life  ember  —  Hespie  was  dead  in  my  hand ! 

A  little  mount  was  made  of  her  by  Bell,  the  most 
eminent  taxidermist  of  the  day;  and  the  cadaver  was 
sent  to  a  learned  professor  of  anatomy;  but  nothing 
came  of  it.  I  had  thought  that  both  throat  and  ear 
might  be  concerned  in  the  little  being's  musical 
talent.  I  only  knew  that  she  was  one  of  the  sweetest 
singers  that  ever  charmed  the  human  ear. 


CHAPTER    XXV. 


CLASSIFYING   ANIMALS. 

'T  would  be  exciting,  though  not  always  pleas- 
ant, if  we  could  follow  into  strange  lands  those 
sacrificing  men,  the  exploring  naturalists;  or, 
even  those  hunters,  whose  prowess  is  so  defiant  of 
danger.  We  should  then  see  the  lithe  tiger,  and  the 
huge  elephant  in  their  own  jungles,  and  the  rhinoceros 
and  hippopotamus  in  their  wallows  by  the  tropical 
rivers;  and  very  many  other  beasts  of  interesting  forms 
and  habits. 

But  we  should  learn  of  the  hunter  very  little  besides 
bloodshed  and  adventure,  and  great  is  the  pity  that 
this  is  the  case.  With  very  few  exceptions,  even  from 
the  exploring  zoologist,  we  should  gather  not  much 
else  than  zoological  notes,  technical  and  dry,  dealing 
mostly  with  the  determination  of  species,  and  their 
distribution. 

In  our  treatment  thus  far,  we  have  gone  deeper 
than  the  scalpel  could  go,  even  down  to  the  animal 
mind.  Dealing  mostly  with  those  animals  of  which 
I  had  an  intimate  .and  familiar  knowledge,  I  have 
chosen  to  give  a  specific  and  individual  biography  of 
a  few  of  those  dumb  creatures,  that  cannot  speak  for 


CLASSIFYING  ANIMALS.  309 

themselves.  The  few  we  have  so  treated  all  belong 
to  the  Class  Mammalia.  And  it  is  proposed  in  this 
same  biographial  way  to  give  life  sketches  in  each  Class 
of  the  great  Branch  of  the  Animal  Kingdom,  desig- 
nated as  the  Vertebrata:  thus  following  the  Mammals, 
in  their  turn,  will  come  individual  memoirs  of  birds 
reptiles,  amphibia,  and  fishes,  since  all  these,  but  no 
other  animals  possess  the  bony  structure  known  as 
the  vertebral  column. 

Principles  of   Classification. 

I  think,  then,  we  should  now  be  ready  for  a  little 
lesson  on  Classification,  as  a  suitable  close  to  this 
portion  of  our  Animal  Memoirs  devoted  to  the  Mam- 
mals. It  surely  should  interest  us  to  know  something 
of  the  grounds  or  reasoning  upon  which  the  systematic 
zoologist  tries  to  erect  a  grouping  or  arrangement  of 
animal  forms. 

The  early  zoologists  took  the  existing  fauna  of  the 
earth  to  be  the  sum  total  of  the  animal  creation. 
They  believed  that  the  Divine  Mind  never  made 
any  living  thing  upon  the  earth  beyond  those  which 
now  exist.  Whereas,  the  present  realm  of  sentient 
beings  is  but  a  stage,  or  epoch,  in  that  career  of  life 
which  has  so  long  animated  the  surface  of  the  globe. 
The  buried  forms,  exhumed  as  fossils,  make  it  highly 
probable  that  the  species,  now  utterly  extinct,  but 
which  formerly  dwelt  upon  this  earth,  vastly  out- 
numbered the  existing  dispensation. 

But  the  present   has  a  subtler  relation  to  the  past 


310  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

than  the  question  of  mere  numbers.  It  is  but  a 
portion,  advanced  it  is  true,  in  time  and  excellence, 
of  a  life  system  which  began  as  soon  as  the  earth 
was  fitted  to  be  the  home  of  living  things.  Thus, 
as  belonging  to  a  vast  plan,  it  is  intellectually  linked 
to  the  past.  Herein  might  easily  be  shown  the  im- 
portance of  every  extinct  animal  form  made  known 
by  the  continuous  discoveries  of  fossil  bones,  since 
each  sheds  light  upon  the  position  in  the  great  scale 
of  animal  being  of  some  one  species  living  now. 

Omitting  the  slugs,  or  so-called  shell-less  snails, 
but  which  have  within  a  small  limy  scale,  let  us 
look  at  a  sea-shell.  We  notice  that  the  soft  parts, 
the  sentient  animal,  is  inside  the  shell,  which  is  com- 
posed of  carbonate  of  lime.  So  too  with  the  insect; 
its  soft  parts  are  enclosed  in  a  horny  encasing.  The 
Mollusca  and  the  Insecta  are  names  for  great  Branches 
of  the  animal  kingdom. 

Now  how  different  is  the  Branch  Vertebrata.  The 
skeleton  is  internal,  and  composed  of  bone  consisting 
of  phosphate  of  lime.  Through  the  length  of  the 
body  is  a  series  of  bony  joints  called  vertebrae. 
These  compose  the  vertebral  column,  with  the  skull 
at  one  end.  Each  joint  is  hollow,  and  through  the 
series  runs  the  spinal  cord,  connecting  with  the  brain 
in  the  skull,  and  throughout  the  two  are  disposed 
the  nervous  centers.  Then  in  a  Vertebrate  we  notice 
a  bi-lateral  symmetry;  on  each  side  of  the  vertebral 
column  are  arranged  the  arms,  and  legs,  and  ribs. 

At  present  it  is  not  the  best  usage  to  place  the 
true  insects  in  an  independent  Branch.  A  beetle  or 


CLASSIFYING  ANIMALS.  311 

a  fly  is  an  articulated  thing.  The  body  is  in  three 
parts,  and  the  six  legs  are  in  jointed  pieces  also, 
and  so  of  its  tentacula,  or  feelers,  —  in  fact,  of  its  en- 
tire structure.  And  there  are  many  living  things  put 
together  in  this  way,  for  besides  these  Hexapods,  or 
six-legged  creatures,  there  are  the  Octopods,  or  eight- 
legged,  namely,  the  spiders,  and  the  Decapods,  or  ten- 
legged,  the  crabs,  and  the  Centipeds,  and  other  Crusta- 
ceans which  have  members  with  many  legs.  And  every 
one  of  these  living  forms  is  articulated  in  all  its  ex- 
ternal parts,  or  skeleton ;  hence  these  are  all  now  placed 
in  a  great  Branch,  called  Arthropoda,  meaning  jointed 
limbs. 

Still  descending  on  the  scale,  we  find  branches 
typically  represented  by  the  worms,  the  Echinoderms, 
or  sea-eggs,  the  Sponges,  and  the  Protozoa,  or  lowest 
forms,  mostly  so  small  as  to  need  the  microscope  to 
make  them  visible. 

And  now  a  word  as  to  the  Class  Mammalia,  which 
is  a  section  of  the  Branch  Vertebrata.  Like  the  birds 
they  have  warm  blood,  while  the  reptiles  have  cold 
blood.  But  the  corpuscles  of  this  vital  fluid  in  the 
vertebrate  are  shown  by  the  microscope  to  differ  in 
size  and  form  from  those  in  the  blood  of  either 
bird  or  reptile.  In  the  Mammal  they  are  smaller 
and  round,  in  the  others  they  are  elliptical. 

And  as  to  the  word  Mammal,  the  possession  of 
those  organs  which  contain  the  milk-glands  makes 
a  physiological  difference  of  the  broadest  character. 
The  food  thus  provided  for  the  young  has  no  equal 
for  nourishment.  This,  with  the  method  of  raising 


312  ANIMAL  MEMOIRS. 

their  offspring  by  suckling,  easily  separates  the  Mam- 
mals from  all  other  creatures. 

Among  other  differences  in  the  skeleton  is  one 
which  to  our  eyes  might  seem  trivial,  but  to  the 
anatomist  has  a  prime  importance.  He  tells  us  that 
a  Mammal  has  two  occipital  condyles,  while  a  bird 
has  but  one.  But  the  terms  being  purely  technical 
need  explanation. 

As  every  one  knows  the  skull  has  an  opening  at  its 
lower  hinder  part,  or  over  the  neck  —  that  is,  in  the 
occipital  region.  At  the  edge  of  this  opening,  on  each 
side  of  the  rim,  is  a  little  projection  of  bone.  These 
are  the  two  condyles;  and  the  word  is  simply  Greek 
for  the  English  word  knob,  or  protuberance.  Each  of 
these  has  one  side  rounded,  and  the  other  flattish. 
And  they  are  the  places  of  attachment,  or  support  of 
the  two  hinges,  by  which  the  head  is  joined  to  the 
atlas  or  top  joint  of  the  spinal  column.  Thus  the 
head  of  a  man  or  a  beast  works  on  a  pair  of  hinges, 
while  that  of  a  bird  moves  upon  only  one. 

The  Branch  Vertebrata  is  subject  to  several  methods 
of  division ;  but  all  systematists  have  more  or  less  defi- 
nite ideas  on  the  divisions  known  as  orders.  Now,  as 
we  have  dwelt  somewhat  on  the  rabbits,  hares,  mar- 
mots, squirrels,  etc.,  all  known  by  their  chisel-shaped 
front  teeth,  and  on  this  account  put  in  the  order  Ro- 
dentia,  or  gnawers,  let  us  take  up  this  one  order  as  an 
example  of  method  in  its  subdivisions. 

If  you  will  take  a  rabbit  or  guinea-pig  in  your 
hands,  you  can  push  a  finger  through  its  mouth  side- 
ways, because  there  is  an  unfilled  space  between  the 


CLASSIFYING    ANIMALS.  313 

back  teeth,  or  molars,  and  the  front  teeth,  or  incisors, 
the  teeth  known  as  the  canines  being  entirely  wanting. 
Thus  in  a  rough  way  it  may  be  said,  a  Rodent  is  an 
animal  with  generally  "  two  long,  curved,  sharp-edged, 
rootless  incisors  in  each  jaw,"  and  no  canine  teeth,  and 
the  grinders  but  few,  and  widely  separated  from  the 
front  teeth.  That  is,  it  is  not  fully  toothed,  —  but  par- 
tially so.  Hence  this  order,  as  in  the  advance  quite 
naturally  follows  the  Edentates  proper,  —  the  ant-eaters, 
armadillos,  and  such  as  are  almost  or  quite  toothless; 
while  it  precedes  the  Carnivores,  as  being  very  far  in 
advance,  they  having  the  dental  system  in  its  highest 
condition. 

But  the  order  Rodentia  is  simply  immense  4n  the 
number  of  species,  and  of  wonderful  diversity  as  to 
the  size  and  forms  of  its  animals.  Compare  that  tiny 
midget,  the  field-mouse,  with  the  beaver  for  size; 
and  for  contrast  of  form  and  habit,  the  chipmunk  and 
the  porcupine;  or  in  the  matter  of  fur,  put  together 
the  spiny  hedgehog  and  the  delicate  chinchilla.  But  the 
list  is  very  long,  and  exhibits  plainly  the  marvellous 
capacity  of  Nature  for  variety,  even  in  a  simple  type, 
or  pattern  of  a  living  form. 

But  this  fecundity  of  invention  is  to  the  naturalist  a 
source  of  perplexity,  in  that  it  presents  to  him  a  diffi- 
cult problem  with  some  of  the  factors  not  apparent, 
which  are  necessary  for  its  solution.  The  time  was " 
when  this  rich  potency  of  nature  was  but  poorly 
understood,  and  the  idea  of  classifying  together  the 
pretty  chickaree  and  the  formidable  porcupine  seemed 
preposterous. 


314  ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

Now  to  me  this  section  of  the  animal  kingdom 
appears  the  most  natural  of  all,  and  the  clearest  in 
its  ordinal  traits.  Nevertheless,  the  diversity  mentioned 
stands  related  to  other  interesting  differences  that  seem 
to  ask  for  at  least  a  division  of  this  great  order  into 
lesser  groups,  which  shall  rank  as  sub-orders.  But 
where  shall  we  begin?  for  in  nature  this  beginning  at 
the  beginning  is  sometimes  like  commencing  history 
before  history  began,  as  may  be  seen  literally  in  the 
exhuming  of  buried  dynasties  in  Egypt  and  Nineveh. 
Almost  similarly  came  a  discovery  which  furnished  the 
starting-point  for  a  clear  and  natural  grouping  of 
the  order. 

It  is  a  very  few  years  since  the  complete  dentition  of 
the  Rodents  as  an  order  was  known,  and  this  came 
of  the  discovery  in  1857  in  the  pampas  of  La  Plata,  in 
South  America,  of 'the  fossil  skull  of  an  ancient  gnawer 
which,  as  it  was  over  twelve  inches  in  length,  indicated 
a  Rodent  of  very  large  size.  It  was  found  in  the  Plio- 
cene formation;  and,  doubtless,  the  beast  roamed  over 
those  vast  pampas  feeding  on  the  rank  and  coarse 
grasses,  an  odd  survival  of  one  of  the  ancient  forms, 
and  in  marked  contrast  in  every  way  with  those 
smaller  and  burrowing  Rodents  then  existing  who  prob- 
ably paid  small  respect  to  their  strange  old  ancestor. 
This  relic  of  the  past  has  received  from  Science  the 
name  Mesotherium  cristatum,  —  as  if  it  was  meant  to 
call  it  the  Crested  Half-way  beast.  As  an  early  Rodent, 
in  comparison  with  the  present,  it  was  much  behind 
the  tribe,  and  assuredly  coarse  in  habit.  It  seems  to 
me  that  its  incisors,  which  are  almost  flat,  would  indi- 


CLASSIFYING    ANIMALS.  315 

cate  a  breaking  or  bruising  of  the  rank  herbage  rather 
than  the  nice  cutting  or  cropping  of  the  present  race. 

As  Dr.  Coues,  following  Alston,  puts  this  matter  of 
dividing  the  order  Rodentia  into  three  sub-orders,  in 
a  very  clear  and  beautifully  simple  way,  I  must  be 
allowed  to  reproduce  the  tabulation. 

I.    Upper  incisors  2,  lower  4;     enormal    or    blunt-toothed 

Kodents Sub-order  HEBETIDENTATA. 

II.    Upper  incisors  4,  lower  2 ;  subnormal  or  double-toothed 

Rodents Sub-order  DUPLICIDENTATA. 

III.    Upper  incisors  2,  lower  2 ;     normal    or    simple-toothed 

Rodents Sub-order  SIMPLICIDENTATA. 

Thus  the  three  sub-orders  given  in  small  capitals 
really  explain  themselves,  as  dull-toothed,  the  incisors 
not  being  adze-like ;  —  double-toothed,  that  is  having 
double  the  normal  number  of  incisors  in  the  upper 
jaw;  —  and  the  simple-toothed,  two  in  each  jaw,  that 
is,  the  normal-toothed  Rodents. 

Of  course  in  Sub-order  I.,  which  is  founded  on  the 
fossil,  there  can  be  no  further  division  until  more 
material  is  got.  But  in  the  other  two  sub-orders,  such 
the  number  of  species,  further  division  is  imperative. 
Let  us  take  Sub-order  III.,  which  includes  the  most 
advanced,  or  the  normal  Rodents.  In  it,  with  many 
other  forms,  are  the  squirrels,  rats,  and  porcupines. 
Let  us  accept  these  as  types  or  representative  forms 
of  so  many  classes  in  the  third  sub-order. 

In  those  Rodents,  which  affiliate  in  form  with  the 
porcupines,  and  may  be  called  "  porcupine-like  Rodents," 
all  have  the  two  leg-bones,  tibia  and  fibula,  distinct, 


316  ANIMAL    MEMOIRS. 

and  separate  throughout  their  entire  length,  and  this 
feature  "is  always  associated  with  a  peculiar  shape  of 
the  lower-jaw  bone."  There  is  also  a  hairy  muzzle, 
and  the  nostrils  have  a  linear  shape.  u  These  and 
other  characters  mark  such  animals  as  a  natural  alli- 
ance, which  has  been  called  the  Hystricine  series, 
Hystricomorpha,  that  is,  the  porcupine-like  Rodents." 

If  now  a  rat  or  mouse,  or  any  Rodent  closely  related 
be  examined  in  the  same  way,  the  leg-bones  will  be 
found  to  be  united  through  a  portion  of  the  lower 
extremities.  And  this  peculiarity  is  connected  with 
"a  special  shape  of  the  jaw-bone,  unlike  that  of  the 
porcupine."  The  muzzle,  too,  is  more  or  less  naked, 
and  the  upper  lip  is  cleft,  and  the  nostrils  are  comma- 
shaped.  The  numerous  Rodents  with  these  characters 
"constitute  the  Murine  series,  or  the  Myomorpha,  the 
mouse-like  Rodents." 

"Once  more,"  says  Coues,  to  whom  I  am  here 
indebted,  "the  squirrels,  and  their  relatives,  display 
a  third  set  of  characters,  consisting  essentially  in  the 
combination  of  such  leg-bones  as  the  Hystricines  have, 
with  the  shape  of  the  jaw  of  the  Murines;  yet  the 
muzzle  is  finished  off  as  in  Murines,  and  never  as  in 
Hystricines.  It  is  this  combination  of  characters  which 
enables  us  to  arrange  them  all  in  a  Sciurine  series, 
Sciuromorpha,  the  squirrel-like  Rodents." 

In  each  of  these  sub-orders  are  many  genera  or 
families,  and  these  again  are  marked  off  into  species. 
But  as  these  minor  divisions  were  explained  in  an 
early  chapter  we  must  not  reiterate. 

Though    profitable,    this    closing    lesson    may    have 


CLASSIFYING    ANIMALS.  317 

proved  dry  to  some.  If  so,  let  us  hope  to  condone  this 
fact  in  our  next,  when,  with  the  birds,  perhaps  fancy 
may  be  allowed  higher  flights.  But  I  must  tell  my 
reader,  —  that  eye  sees  the  furthest  which  has  seen  the 
deepest!  He  best  enjoys  the  views  of  nature,  who  looks 
also  at  the  framework  of  things.  ^**TR'  R  7"^* 

^  ^\  B  K  A  /f^ 

Of   TMK 

UNIVERSITY 


